The NFL released its full, 272-game schedule for 2025 on Wednesday, officially marking the point many football fans start looking ahead to the upcoming season.

Naturally, football junkies immediately began poring over the schedule to find its most exciting matchups.

Often, those matchups are in primetime and feature matchups between some of the top projected teams in the league. However, there are also a handful of intriguing revenge games and homecoming that should be on the radar of NFL fans ahead of the 2025 season.

What are the most interesting matchups of the 2025 campaign? Below is a look at one matchup on which to keep an eye each week.

NFL schedule 2025: Most interesting matchups by week

Week 1

Pittsburgh Steelers at New York Jets

If Aaron Rodgers signs with the Steelers, this could end up being a double revenge game. Rodgers, who has been tied to Pittsburgh throughout the offseason, would likely relish a chance to hand Aaron Glenn a defeat, as the veteran quarterback wasn’t happy with how the Jets handled his release during the offseason.

Meanwhile, Justin Fields started the first six games of last season for the Steelers, leading them to a 4-2 record before being benched in favor of Russell Wilson. He will have a chance to show Mike Tomlin and Co. what they missed by letting him walk in free agency.

Week 2

Philadelphia Eagles at Kansas City Chiefs

Ben Johnson’s return to Detroit comes in a close second in a loaded Week 2 slate, but it’s hard to overlook an early-season Super Bowl rematch.

The Chiefs will be seeking vengeance after being blown out by the Eagles 40-22 in Super Bowl 59. It will be a great test for Kansas City’s new-look offensive line and will also be a litmus test for the Eagles, who have replaced a handful of key starters on their defense, notably defensive linemen Milton Williams and Josh Sweat.

Week 3

Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills

The Dolphins and Bills met on ‘Thursday Night Football’ in Week 2 last season. In that contest, Tua Tagovailoa suffered a concussion that knocked him out four weeks and helped cause Miami to get off to a slow start from which it couldn’t recover.

Miami will be looking to keep Tagovailoa healthy in its first of two ‘TNF’ games while also looking to challenge the Bills early in the AFC East race.

Week 4

Baltimore Ravens at Kansas City Chiefs

Many believed Lamar Jackson and the Ravens might face the Chiefs in the postseason. Instead, the Bills knocked the Ravens out in the divisional round, robbing Baltimore of a chance to avenge its 27-20 regular-season loss to the Chiefs.

The Ravens will get an early chance to see Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs again. The Mahomes vs. Jackson battle will be one of the best quarterback matchups of the first four weeks of the NFL season, and both playmakers should bring their A-game to what figures to be an early battle for control of the AFC.

Week 5

Detroit Lions at Cincinnati Bengals

The Lions and Bengals sported two of the NFL’s best offenses last season. Detroit averaged a league-high 33.1 points while ranking third in offensive EPA while the Bengals ranked seventh in points per game (27.8) and seventh in offensive EPA.

Both offenses are returning a majority of their starters in 2025, so this figures to be an exciting shootout. It will also be a good test of the Lions’ offensive ceiling after losing offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who took the Bears coaching job during the NFL offseason.

Week 6

Chicago Bears at Washington Commanders

Last time the Bears and Commanders met, Jayden Daniels completed an improbable Hail Mary to give Washington a win and send Chicago into a losing streak. The Bears lost 10 straight games following the Hail Mary and fired coach Matt Eberflus as it sputtered to a 5-12 finish.

Suffice to say that game left a sour taste in Chicago’s mouth. Caleb Williams will look to even up the series between the No. 1 and No. 2 picks in the 2024 NFL Draft while cornerback Tyrique Stevenson will look to atone for his lack of attention to detail during the Hail Mary throw.

Week 7

New England Patriots at Tennessee Titans

Mike Vrabel is back in the NFL coaching ranks after taking the Patriots’ job following the dismissal of Jerod Mayo. He will return to Tennessee as he looks to prove the Titans made a mistake in firing him after the 2023 NFL season.

Vrabel already has a slight edge on the Titans after they sputtered to a league-worst 3-14 record in Brian Callahan’s first season with the team. Beating Tennessee with a rebuilding New England squad would provide another feather in the cap of the 2021 NFL Coach of the Year.

Week 8

Green Bay Packers at Pittsburgh Steelers

Aaron Rodgers has never played against the Packers after spending the first 18 seasons of his career in Green Bay. Could that change in Week 8? Again, Rodgers hasn’t yet signed in Pittsburgh, but if he does, many fans will be eagerly watching to see if the 41-year-old can become the fifth quarterback in NFL history to beat all 32 teams. Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Brett Favre and Drew Brees are the others.

Week 9

Kansas City Chiefs at Buffalo Bills

Five of the last six Bills vs. Chiefs games have been decided by one score. That has included three postseason matchups all won by Kansas City.

Buffalo has typically performed well against its rival and has earned three consecutive regular-season wins over Kansas City. If the Bills can continue doing that, it may give them a path to the AFC’s No. 1 seed. That makes this a rare midseason matchup that could prove crucial to the AFC playoff picture.

Week 10

Detroit Lions at Washington Commanders

The Lions’ season ended at the hands of the Commanders in the divisional round of the NFC playoffs. Washington crushed Detroit 45-31 in a game during which Jared Goff threw three interceptions and the Lions defense couldn’t stop Jayden Daniels.

Dan Campbell’s squad will be looking to avenge that loss, which brought to an early end one of the greatest seasons in Detroit’s franchise history. With a healthier, Aidan Hutchinson-led defense, the Lions could have a better chance to compete with the NFC runners-up.

Week 11

Detroit Lions at Philadelphia Eagles

Here’s our chance to see what many believed the NFC championship game would be last season. If the Lions can beat the Commanders and Eagles in back-to-back weeks, it will lead Detroit fans to wonder what may have happened if the team’s defense was able to stay healthier in 2024.

This matchup could also help to determine who has the inside track for the NFC’s No. 1 seed in 2025, so this game will be an important one.

Week 12

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Los Angeles Rams

The Buccaneers and Rams have both made the playoffs in back-to-back seasons and have jockeyed with one another for playoff position in seasons past. That figures to happen again in 2025, as Tampa Bay and Los Angeles are both expected to compete for division titles once again.

The other element of this game? Baker Mayfield had a brief stint with the Rams in 2022, so it will be fun to monitor how Sean McVay schemes against his former quarterback.

Week 13

Minnesota Vikings at Seattle Seahawks

The Vikings replaced Sam Darnold with J.J. McCarthy this offseason. The two will face off in Week 13 in what could be an important game for Minnesota’s chances of winning the NFC North. Darnold may relish an opportunity to diminish the Vikings’ postseason chances, so that storyline should make this a fun game to watch.

Week 14

Tennessee Titans at Cleveland Browns

This game probably won’t come with the same playoff intrigue as some of the others being played at this time of year. However, this could end up being a matchup between No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders, who endured one of the most surprising NFL draft slides in recent memory.

Sanders was a fifth-round pick, so it’s hardly guaranteed he will start this game. That said, the contest will still be of interest, as the Browns were reportedly interested in Ward during the draft process. He may have been the choice had he been on the board with the No. 2 overall pick, so Cleveland fans can get a glimpse of what the team’s future might have been.

Week 15

Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals

The matchup between Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow is always exciting. It could be even more thrilling if the Ravens and Bengals are close together in the AFC North race at this late stage in the season.

Week 16

Jacksonville Jaguars at Denver Broncos

If you’re looking for a good time to see Travis Hunter in action, this might be it. He played collegiately at Colorado, so this will be something of a homecoming for him. It will also be a great test of the two-way star’s abilities, as he will be tasked with beating a stout Broncos defense on offense while covering a solid receiving corps led by Courtland Sutton and Marvin Mims Jr.

Week 17

Philadelphia Eagles at Buffalo Bills

The Chiefs edged the Bills in the AFC championship game last season, but Buffalo was close to winning the game and getting a chance to match up against the Eagles in Super Bowl 59. Perhaps their late-season meeting will end up being a preview of Super Bowl 60 instead.

Week 18

Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers

A classic, AFC North rivalry that could have playoff implications in Week 18? Sign us up, especially if Mike Tomlin needs to keep his consecutive streak of non-losing seasons alive.

With college baseball heading into the final weekend of the regular season, the announcement of the 64-team NCAA tournament field is less than two weeks away. Our latest bracket projection indicates some teams are trending in the right direction, but naturally any upward movement comes at the expense of someone else.

As usual, the SEC is front and center. LSU has moved up to the No. 2 overall seed after a series win against Arkansas. Vanderbilt is now comfortably among the top eight after taking a series from Tennessee, which has slipped a bit in the pecking order. In another development, Texas A&M has fallen completely out of the projected field after being swept by Missouri. The season has been a major disappointment for the Aggies, last year’s national runners-up who began the year with the No. 1 ranking.

This is the final weekend of the regular season before teams play in conference tournaments, so there’s still time for those down the bracket and just outside the field to make an impression.

(* denotes teams that are automatic qualifiers based on current conference standings.)

Austin region

Texas* (1)
Texas-San Antonio*
Kansas
Central Connecticut State*

Baton Rouge region

LSU (2)
Northeastern*
Arizona
Missouri State*

Tallahassee region

Florida State* (3)
Mississippi State
Stetson*
Bethune-Cookman*

Fayetteville region

Arkansas (4)
Duke
Northeastern*
Bryant*

Athens region

Georgia (5)
Louisville
Texas Rio Grand Valley
Holy Cross*

Auburn region

Auburn (6)
Miami (Fla.)
Connecticut*
Miami (Ohio)*

Nashville region

Vanderbilt (7)
Wake Forest
Southern California
Oral Roberts*

Chapel Hill region

North Carolina (8)
Oklahoma
Kansas State
Yale*

Corvallis region

Oregon State (9)
Mississippi
Arizona State
Sacramento State*

Myrtle Beach region

Coastal Carolina* (10)
North Carolina State
Kentucky
High Point*

Los Angeles region

UCLA (11)
Dallas Baptist*     
Cal Poly
San Diego*

Clemson region

Clemson (12)
Southern Mississippi
East Tennessee State*
Rhode Island*

Knoxville region

Tennessee (13)
Georgia Tech
Iowa*
Tennessee Tech*

Eugene region

Oregon (14)
UC Irvine*
Xavier      
Nevada* 

Tuscaloosa region

Alabama (15)
West Virginia*
Southeastern Louisiana*
Fairfield*

Fort Worth region

TCU (16)
Florida
Virginia
Wright State*

Last four in: Cal Poly, Texas Rio Grande Valley, Virginia, Xavier.

First four out: Western Kentucky, Creighton, Cincinnati, Texas A&M.

Team breakdown by conference: SEC (13), ACC (10), Big 12 (6), Big Ten (4), Sun Belt (3), Big East (2), Big West (2), Southland (2).

We finally know the dates and times for all the 2025 regular-season games.

The NFL season kicks off when the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles raise their banner and host the Dallas Cowboys on Sept. 4 in primetime.

The Eagles have multiple marquee games during the regular season, including a Super Bowl 57 and 59 rematch with the Chiefs in Kansas City in Week 2. Could the matchup be a preview of Super Bowl 60?

Wednesday marked the official release of the 2025 NFL schedule. USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon provides five must-watch games on the slate:

Week 1 (Sept. 7): Baltimore Ravens vs. Buffalo Bills

To open the season, Lamar Jackson and the Ravens return to the scene of a heartbreaking loss in the AFC divisional round. The Ravens are expected to once again be contenders. It’s imperative for Baltimore to capture wins against other perceived contenders for seeding purposes come playoff time. The outcome of last year’s divisional game could’ve been different had it been in Baltimore.

This tilt also features the past two MVP winners. Both Jackson and Josh Allen are earlier favorites for the 2025 MVP award. Jackson is 3-1 versus Allen and the Bills in the regular season. But Allen is 2-0 against Jackson and the Ravens in the postseason.

Week 2 (Sept.14): Philadelphia Eagles vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Who isn’t excited for a Super Bowl 57 and Super Bowl 59 rematch?

Fans won’t have to wait long for this matchup between two juggernauts. The Eagles got revenge in Super Bowl 59 in what was a dominant defensive performance. Patrick Mahomes was sacked a career-high six times and pressured on 17 occasions in the Super Bowl 59 loss.

The Chiefs responded this offseason by placing the franchise tag on guard Trey Smith, they traded guard Joe Thuney, signed tackle Jaylon Moore in free agency, they used a first-round pick to select tackle Josh Simmons and are evaluating Kingsley Suamataia at guard. Will Kansas City’s revamped O-line protect Mahomes better? Jalen Carter and the Eagles defensive front will be a litmus test for the Chiefs retooled offensive line.

There are so many storylines in this game that Andy Reid coaching against his former team is an afterthought.

Week 4 (Sept. 28): Baltimore Ravens vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Two of the NFL’s best quarterbacks face off once again.

Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson always seem to make memorable plays when their teams go head-to-head. The two teams produced a thriller in the 2024 Week 1 season opener.

Jackson’s kryptonite has long been the Chiefs. The two-time MVP is 1-4 versus Kansas City in the regular season and lost his only battle against them in the playoffs.

The past three games between the Ravens and Chiefs – including playoffs – have been decided by one score.

Week 11 (Nov. 16): Detroit Lions vs. Philadelphia Eagles

The Lions and Eagles lit up the scoreboard with 73 points in their last meeting. This NFC battle could potentially be another high-scoring affair.

These two NFC heavy weights prioritize winning the battle in the trenches. It’s bound to be a physical contest as both teams try to impose their will running the football and with physicality up front.

Philadelphia has the early advantage because they get to play the game in front of their home fans at Lincoln Financial Field.

Week 11 (Nov. 16): Washington Commanders vs. Miami Dolphins

How about a first of its kind international game?

This year’s international slate will conclude in Madrid, Spain with the Dolphins and Commanders at the Bernabéu Stadium, the home venue for Real Madrid. It’s the NFL’s first ever regular season game in Spain.

Lucky for Spain, they get to witness last year’s rookie sensation Jayden Daniels.

Honorable mention: The Chiefs and Chargers will debut this year’s international series in Week 1 (Sept. 5). The two AFC West rivals get the luxury of playing in in São Paulo, Brazil at Corinthians Arena. Fans or vacationers can never go wrong with a trip to Brazil.

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.

The park in Sedamsville already had been known as Pete Rose Park for nearly as long as Cincinnati’s first son of baseball had become a fixture in the Big Red Machine lineup.

It’s where Rose’s father, Harry Francis “Pete” Rose, played smash-mouth football into middle age, once running down an opponent for a game-saving tackle after breaking his hip during the game, according to family legend.

Tin and wooden signs have come and gone at the ballfield at Boldface Park. But the identity of the place is rooted in decades of civic pride and history.

“That’s the thing,” Pete Rose Jr. said. “If you say Boldface or if you say Pete Rose Park, if you’re from this way (west), over from the city, you know exactly where you’re going.”

So when the Cincinnati Reds and local officials partnered to dedicate the spot Wednesday with the presentation of a new permanent marker (which was actually a demo for the ceremony) on the day the Reds celebrated Pete Rose Day, it was more symbolic than substance, more past than prologue.

Besides, what mattered most to Rose’s family and fans on this day is what the past day meant for the next three years.

“It’s great,” Pete Rose Jr. said, “just to have the opportunity. All you can say is you’re nothing but thrilled.”

Rose Jr.’s older sister, Fawn Rose, shed tears when she got the phone call Tuesday while boarding a plane in Seattle, where she lives, for Wednesday’s events in Cincinnati honoring her father.

“I think my kids thought somebody had died,” she said.

Her five-month effort to have her father’s permanent ban from baseball lifted by commissioner Rob Manfred was made official with Tuesday’s announcement, 36 years after Rose was banned, 7 1/2 months after his death and about two weeks after the family heard “rumblings” that the news they’d hoped for was coming.

“I just wish he were here to be able to celebrate with the fans,” Fawn Rose said. “He always would get excited when he was coming in to do something or to talk to people.

“I was just asked whether I ever get sick and tired of hearing stories from fans,” she said. “And I don’t. Because each story is different. Because it shows that my dad took the time to listen and he remembers.

“Each story was real, and every time I hear somebody say something, I’m like, yeah, I’m really proud that I’m his kid because he really did care about his fans.”

Pete Rose took both of his oldest kids, Fawn and Pete Jr., to play at that ballfield at Boldface Park when they were kids, and the rainy, mournful weather played across the grain of the upbeat ceremony.

‘Brutal,’ Pete Jr. said when considering that the lifting of his father’s ban came as an almost inevitably posthumous action. ‘That’s the thing. They made a decision, which was great. But it’s not going to bring dad back.

‘It’s the human-element part, to where I’m still processing not having a dad. It’s not even been a year yet,’ he said. ‘I understand what kind of magnitude, what kind of player he was, but we’re talking about Dad. And that’s the hardest thing.’

That doesn’t mean Manfred’s decision wasn’t profoundly meaningful for Rose’s family, despite the circumstances.

‘I think he’s probably smiling down knowing that his grandkids and his kids are here and what it means to us, because it is our legacy,’ Fawn Rose said. ‘And we’re very proud of who he is.’

Whatever comes next.

Rose Jr. won’t speculate on his dad’s chances for induction, says he’s not even sure how it works.

“But I know what he did on the field, and I know how much he loved baseball,” he said. “I know how much he loved giving back and playing for the fans and doing stuff in the community and being around. So it’s a no-brainer for me.

“But we’re happy. We’re going to remain optimistic and everything. If it happens, great. If it doesn’t it doesn’t,” he said. “We can’t control anything. But I think it’d be a great day for not only the Rose family but the Cincinnati Reds family, and the city of Cincinnati.”

And if it doesn’t happen? If he’s still kept out of the Hall of Fame when his first turn for possible election comes in December 2027 with that year’s Eras Committee vote?

Fawn Rose said her meeting with Manfred in December and petition in January was as far as the family planned to pursue reinstatement.

“If the commissioner’s decision would have been (to deny the petition), then I think we would have let it go,” she said. “I’m happy the way it turned out. And I just wish Dad was here to celebrate it and feel the emotion involved in that and what it would mean to him.”