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NFL schedule release winners, losers: NFC East is back, red carpet ready for Aaron Rodgers
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- NFL schedule release winners, losers: NFC East is back, red carpet ready for Aaron Rodgers
The annual unveiling of the NFL schedule is perhaps the most manufactured of all "events" on the sports calendar. But that's not to say it isn't informative, provocative and sometimes controversial … even if it's now morphed into something that takes the better part of three days to reveal before the big picture crystallizes.
Yet the fact that the schedule release has actually become a landmark of the NFL offseason at all is a testament to the league's brilliant marketing and business acumen combined with the gargantuan – and ever-growing – undertaking NFL vice president of broadcasting Mike North and his team embrace and execute year after year.
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What does it all mean? Winners and losers, quite naturally – and a wide range of them:
WINNERS
NFC East
It's back in a big way, baby. The Dallas Cowboys , Philadelphia Eagles – those longtime rivals ring in the season with the Thursday night kickoff opener on September 4 – and Washington Commanders are scheduled for six prime-time appearances apiece, tied for second most league-wide following the Kansas City Chiefs .
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - DECEMBER 29: Saquon Barkley #26 of the Philadelphia Eagles runs the ball against DaRon Bland #26 of the Dallas Cowboys during the fourth quarter at Lincoln Financial Field on December 29, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Buffalo Bills
No team that made the playoffs in 2024 has an easier schedule based on its opponents' collective winning percentage (.467) from last season. The perennial AFC East champions will also enjoy three prime-time home games during their final season at Highmark Stadium.
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Colts ' 'Indiana Nights' uniforms
It's been two years since Indianapolis unveiled its alternate uniform, which features a black helmet and "heathered" uniform design – the team claims the locals clamored for these. Unfortunately, the Colts have been relegated to wearing the "Indiana Nights" kit for 1 p.m. ET kickoffs because they haven't been relevant enough to play ... at night. But fear not, the Colts will host the San Francisco 49ers on "Monday Night Football" in Week 16. Open the Lucas Oil Stadium roof and drink in the Indiana stars, you Hoosiers!
Streaming services
They continue to make inroads into what used to purely be the domain of network broadcasts. This year, Prime Video, YouTube, Peacock, ESPN+ and Netflix will be in the mix in some way, shape or form as the league continues to broaden its content distribution model.
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Aaron Rodgers ?
The Pittsburgh Steelers' would-be QB1 – right? – won't be inordinately saddled with marquee games after North loaded him and the New York Jets up with a mulligan 2024 schedule that didn't work out to anyone's satisfaction … though you can bet Rodgers will be raring to go in Week 1, when his apparent Black-and-Gold debut will come on the road against those same J-E-T-S who summarily dumped him after their regime change. Four prime-time games – not to mention being the designated home team in the league's Dublin debut – feels like a pretty standard Steelers schedule, regardless of quarterback … though you know Rodgers will be licking his chops when the Green Bay Packers come to Pittsburgh for "Sunday Night Football" in Week 8.
NFL's international footprint
A record seven regular-season games across five countries – including Spain and Ireland for the first time – will be played outside America's borders in 2025. Good thing NFL games aren't subject to tariffs. As for the Minnesota Vikings' two-week European road trip ? Don't worry, kids, they're only too happy to see Big Ben and Parliament.
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Cincinnati Bengals ' travel schedule
The centrally located Stripes are the only team in the league set to have fewer than 10,000 travel miles in 2025. They'll doubtless reinvest the savings into rewarding DE Trey Hendrickson with the contract he's more than earned … right ?
NFL social media teams (mostly)
The schedule release is tantamount to the Super Bowl for social departments throughout the league as they brew up a mixture of creativity, shade and anticipation while rolling out their respective teams' fall lineup. USA TODAY Sports' Jordan Mendoza ranked this year's efforts , and the Los Angeles Chargers once again distinguished themselves. The Colts did not ... hardly the first time the franchise has been embarrassed in the Super Bowl, regardless of version. The team apologized to Miami Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill on Thursday.
LOSERS
Families of Dallas, Detroit and Kansas City players
For the third straight year, the Chiefs will play on Christmas – though at least they'll be at Arrowhead this season. Yet the twist for 2025 is that the reigning AFC champions will also travel for Thanksgiving at Dallas. Speaking of the Cowboys (and Lions), perennial home fixtures on Turkey Day, both of those clubs also draw Christmas assignments – on the road in each case. Do it up on Labor Day, y'all!
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Chargers' travel schedule
The Bolts are scheduled to log a league-high 37,000 miles getting from Point A – LA – to Points east and far south, including that trip to Brazil in Week 1. Frequent flyer points would be nice but, hey, nobody's got it better than you.
10 p.m. ET kickoffs
The league had moved away from late-night games it often used to roll out in Week 1 "MNF" doubleheaders, that second matchup often featuring a West Coast team or two – football diehards east of the Mississippi paying a heavy price while trying to post for work on Tuesday morning. This year, the Monday night lineup on ESPN will merely kick off with the Chicago Bears and Vikings to cap Week 1. But Week 2 and 7 will feature twin bills without overlapping games, Las Vegas and Seattle , respectively, earning after-hours spotlights with 10 p.m. ET starts. Keep the Red Bull handy, Right Coasters.
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Football fans with Chiefs fatigue
Tired of watching Patrick Mahomes , Travis Kelce and Co., who have reached five of the past six Super Bowls and make some folks pine for the "Patriot Way"? Welp. Not only does K.C. have those league-leading seven prime-time appearances, factor in Thanksgiving, and you've got eight exclusive broadcast windows.
New Orleans Saints and Tennessee Titans
Respect is earned in the NFL and these teams ... combined for zero exclusive broadcast slots in 2025. Get to work, fellas.
College Football Playoff
It's set to enter its second year with the expanded, 12-team format … one that didn't fare well, from a TV ratings perspective, while attempting to intrude on the late-season Saturday time slots the NFL had claimed years ago when the college game had entered its pre-Bowl season hiatus. Moving forward, the pros aren't willing to concede any viewership eyeballs, either, slotting a pair of compelling division rivalry games on the Saturday (Dec. 20) of Week 16, when the Chicago Bears will host the Green Bay Packers in the league's longest-running series while the Washington Commanders and Philadelphia Eagles will meet in a rematch of last season's NFC championship game. Good luck with that, Penn State. And be careful, NCAA decision-makers, as you map out future iterations of the CFP.
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"That's an NFL day," Hans Schroeder, the league's EVP of media distribution, said Thursday when asked about the overlap, noting the NFL has played on the third Saturday in December for 37 of the past 40 years. "You'd have to ask the CFP how they're thinking about the future."
NBA
If it wasn't already official, they've clearly lost their Christmas showcase – the NFL loading up this year's Yuletide tripleheader with Mahomes, Jayden Daniels and Dallas. LeBron, Giannis and Co. don't stand a chance.
Germany
Decades removed from World War II, they've been valued American allies for the past 80 years. Yet we keep sending them Daniel Jones as an NFL ambassador? Maybe Volkswagen is still being penalized for that emissions scandal …
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NFL schedule release winners, losers: NFC East, Aaron Rodgers, Chiefs
