2025 NFL schedule: League’s schedule guru explains big Commanders push, why Chiefs-Cowboys on Thanksgiving

This is always my favorite pieces of writing important because of how excited the subject to talk about work.

Mike North NFL’s Vice President of a flat planning and scheduling, is one of those who have to do an exact job and what would you do in this country in my opinion. On Wednesday afternoon, we had our annual half-hour phone conversation ahead of schedule release and this guy now knows the schedule in front of the back.

League has gone through thousands of schedule, by the usual, and the earth in the version that was just released to 8 PM and less than 36 hours ago.

“Know, Jonathan, to please us another month,” North Laughs. “I would like to keep grinding, just keep searching. I know all it’s got to start making plans and booking flights and hotels and buy tickets, but not always do something that can do as a bit better.

“We were pretty locked in our most of our tent at the time of Friday before you went home from the weekend, but worked on the weekend, but they worked on the 400 schedules and tried to see all of them to the last to 30 to deduce the world.”

Below is our Q & A, brevity and clarity in all the schedule-related. At bottom are few interesting bullet-point notes added. We’ll be Mike to get out of here.

2025 NFL Soccer Release: CBS Sports reveals Cowboys vs. People’s Thanksgiving to Showdown

Cody Benjamin

I remember a few years we talked about the lions to be the team you all have a pact were sorting depending on similar, “OK, we are betting in this team making a run. The next year after the weaver has made a 101 stroud’s rookie year was weaving. Who is ‘it’ team this year?

“I’ll tell you, i think the team that we’re probably looking at that next step is probably Washington. You’re going to see a lot of prime-time appearances for them, some 4:25 double-time games in Madrid (vs. Dolphins), on Christmas (Vs. Cowboys), on Fox Saturday, 16 (vs. Eagles). And then their Sunday, Monday and Thursday night football games. It’s a fan base that maybe now lying on the quarterback and a year’s record and run to the NFC laughter game, which can build on the victory. “

And there are some challenges in this schedule that would be the only one year? And what is the meaning of what is ever challenges in making a schedule I am very aware of, right? Petitions of teams, broadcast partner requests, concert is scheduled to the venue, at least it is carried out in the army of the city. But some of the most unique, perhaps all you don’t come before?

It would be a little inside football, but as a, I do not want to say scheduling nerd, but that anyone who understands our process in 272 this year, in 30 years, so I am not always in the schedule.

What gave us the opportunity to get a little older in some window where traditionally have. You think of games like Kickoff, Thanksgiving christmas that are probably have games, and I don’t think we always want to really test the floor.

So get with Dallas, Philly this year. Maybe we don’t think the maximum of two Dallas, Philly games at the last two years. We actually ended up to turning out of them one of them last year. We also best in thanks. Now you look at the day that has a green Bay-Detroit, followed by Kansas City-Dallas, followed by Cincinnati-Baltimore, and still leaves a place for ullamcorper, eagle in black Friday. That’s probably bigger than normally would’ve in their four games. Then roll forward to Christ and we’ve got three pretty good division games all right in the order. Dallas, Washington, Detroit Minnesota, Denver-Kansas City. I’m not sure we’ve ever really been brave in his race holiday windows before. “

Mike this story is embargoed until this tonight, but there’s a little rumor around and breaks and steelers are playing week I. There is a league to know some of Aaron Rodgers’ future plans!

“You see Pittsburgh to breaks the CBS at 1 hour in the afternoon in the week 1 together with seven others Nfl games All at the same time. I think if you knew that you probably would’ve scheduled the game at the national salad window. So the worst, it’s justin fields in his old pain. The best, it’s Aaron Rogers walking against one of his old teams. See what we made Aaron Rogers’ first school last two years (both of the moon and night games). If you knew something, I think you’ve seen is reflected in the schedule. The statement is still a good game. “

So … uhhh … Mike. How’d leaders and Cowboys end up in Thanksgiving in CBS?

“It really started with the Snapshot of 272. We have a little bigger in the holiday window, where we normally do not use our best in the year, so that this year may not be in this year to be in the Ferrari?

Commissioner obviously excited. Knows what we have become as part of the fabric of this country on that day. You get a lot of casual fans watching Thanksgiving. You know when you’re starting to do 40-45 million viewers at NFL game, who may not be the dieihards all the time for a long time look at all the game no matter what.

I think it is an opportunity to think we can do this, we think we can still feed all other things, we have to feed, even by put on the reality of the active thanks. It is not something to be excited. It really started with the Hans, society with CBS sports president and CEO David Berson and then obviously approval by the boss. “

And we know the CBS taken such pride in being able to be home from so many epic bills, leading games in years. I know one lot of places had a wish. Will the game be back in CBS this year?

“We honestly talked about that game in a lot of different homes this year. This particular year, bills-chiefs did once again on Sunday, Nov. 2, in the week 9. There were a lot of places for it. You might remember the Years of Brady-manning and that Colts-Patriots game really used to ping Pong back and forth between CBS and Sunday Afternoon at NBC. You know we like to talk about every game being a free agent, so every game partners. We absolutely looking at Buffalo-Kansas City on Sunday night, on Monday Night, on Fox, and the schedule would’ve been great no matter Where it is landed. Obviously, it’s one of the things that cbs really likes the hat on. You remember last year to buffalo. IT is really, really important to cbs. They know – not going to every year, but at least enough-time game again this year. “

Well we favor and looking forward to another epic meeting between two. One last question. The Titans got Cup Ward and Jaguars Got I think, therefore, Hunter. What do you mean with teams? If you should be two questions, please answer apart.

“I’ll start with tennessee. We kind of have this adage that you play your way into prime time. You do not draft your way into prime time. So the titans are one of the teams that do not have a national television window scheduling are for. And if you look down the stretch for the titans, they play San Francisco in Week 15, Kansas City in Week 16. They’ve got the same opportunity every other team has to play on the way in the national window. “

Got it.

“Now I’ll answer the Jaguars question. It really was not that long ago they were playoff relevant and winning division titles. So we do not feel like the jaguars took that much of a massive step backward for the jacksonville game earlmarked for ESPN” Monday Night Football “Kind of Early in the Season. IT ended up in Week 5. And I’ll tell you that after they moved up and drafted the heisman Trophy Victor, I think it is not only a little bit about this game. It is not necessarily a suddenly moved game in the national window, but he felt a little better about himself to lead himisman trophy. “

Note

• The packers are not opened at home with 2018 when they play in managing a week I. Most teams like a hole and closing at home while getting a bye week in the middle of the time. Well, I don’t always know what you want. But months after the hosting draft, green Bay will be the host in the time of opener first in seven years when you get lions.
• Talking of Packers, as the power of the welcome back Aaron Rodgers in the week 8 in the “Sunday Night.” The NFL has steelers traveling to Lambeau fields in and could be rodgers’ return to the old home. Even if there is no rodgers, it’s up a huge game between two of the league’s top franchises.
• The NFL is clearly getting more comfortable with more teams playing in multiple short weeks. Nine teams will be more than a short week this year. That’s a 14 year or eight in 2023. A big system is when the Black Friday and Christmas Day games are simply more teams and more opportunities to have several short weeks these days of the previous years.
• One with Titans, New Orleans are only some team who is not currently slated in the National TV window.
• As described above, teams will be blackout days when their home venue is in the use of concerts. It was made with several teams last year with taylor rapid when the joint booked to have been tour. The league did the work of the schedules Billy Joel, Paul and Green Day this year, but the ordinary.
• Teams who play games are not guaranteed bye weeks in return to the states. The Vikings got after their eurotrip Dublin and London and I’ve noted the CBS sports hq this week To have a very wise parlay. The businos and jets do not have a bronze in return from London, and Falcons will be playing a week to return the Berlin.