Get ready to see a little more of the Washington Commanders, a little less of the New York Jets, and nary a hint of Kansas City — at least when it comes to seeing the Chiefs in person at SoFi Stadium. The NFL just dropped its 2025 schedule last night, turning what used to be a run-of-the-mill event into a full-blown national sports extravaganza. And let me tell you, it’s quite the spectacle.
The NFL’s scheduling team, with the help of about 5,000 computers worldwide, went through hundreds of trillions of potential combinations to come up with the optimal configuration of 272 games played over 18 weeks. It’s a grueling process, but someone’s gotta do it. Among the juicy tidbits from this year’s schedule: the Chargers are kicking off the season in Sao Paulo, squaring off against none other than the Kansas City Chiefs. Sorry Chiefs fans, looks like you won’t be making the trip to Los Angeles this year unless it’s for the playoffs. And hey, the Chargers had the chance to protect two opponents from that international game, but they decided to roll the dice with a matchup against Kansas City. Bold move.
But wait, there’s more! The league is pulling out all the stops for the Friday showcase game, giving YouTubeTV a treat with that AFC West showdown. And don’t worry, Chiefs fans, you’ll get your SoFi Stadium fix every other year. The NFL is all about spreading the love, making sure every team gets their fair share of prime-time action. Speaking of which, the Commanders are getting a nice bump this season after their playoff run, with five prime-time appearances lined up for quarterback Jayden Daniels and crew. As for the New York Jets and New England Patriots, well, they won’t be seeing the bright lights of prime time as often as they used to. It’s a changing of the guard in more ways than one this year, with longtime scheduling guru Howard Katz hanging up his hat. But fear not, the league is in good hands with a new team led by Michael North, who’s all about analytics and data science. Who knew scheduling could be so high-tech?
Short weeks don’t seem to faze the Rams, who are gearing up for two Thursday night games this season. And get this, they even requested an East Coast game before their London matchup against Jacksonville in Week 7. The NFL granted their wish, sending them to Baltimore the week before for a quicker trip across the pond. The Chargers, on the other hand, have a long flight back from Brazil but can’t play at SoFi in Week 2 due to a Chris Brown concert. So, they’re off to Las Vegas for a Monday night showdown instead. And while there won’t be a Monday night doubleheader in Week 1, we’ll get two this season in Weeks 2 and 7. It’s all about keeping things fresh and exciting in the NFL, and this schedule is shaping up to be a real doozy. So buckle up, football fans, it’s going to be one wild ride.
