Tremendous Bowl LIX is within the books, which suggests one factor.
The 2025-2026 NFL season has begun.
Sure different sports activities are in full swing in the mean time (together with Formulation 1, so enable me to make a shameless plug for all our F1 protection which you’ll be able to see right here) however the NFL is a 365-day behemoth. The 2025 Scouting Mix is a couple of weeks away, and the NFL Draft will likely be right here earlier than you realize it.
What comes after the draft? The discharge of the total 2025 NFL schedule. This can probably start with the normal Thursday evening season opener, which will likely be hosted by the Philadelphia Eagles.
Who would possibly make the journey to Lincoln Monetary Discipline for that sport? Due to the NFL’s scheduling components Philadelphia is ready to host these eight groups subsequent season: Washington, Dallas, the New York Giants, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Las Vegas, and the Los Angeles Rams.
For these hoping for a Tremendous Bowl LIX rematch, the Eagles are set to play at Kansas Metropolis subsequent season. Philadelphia can also be set to play the Buffalo Payments and the Los Angeles Chargers on the street, two fascinating choices which might be unavailable for the normal dwelling opener.
So, given these eight choices, let’s rank them from least to almost definitely.
8. New York Giants
Historically, the NFL has shied away from placing a divisional sport on this spot. The final time two division rivals squared off to open the season got here in 2019 when the Chicago Bears hosted the Inexperienced Bay Packers to commemorate the league’s a hundredth season. Earlier than that, the 2012 season opener noticed the Dallas Cowboys tackle the New York Giants.
Extra on this in a minute.
However with the New York Giants going by way of a rebuilding cycle, and different attractive matchups obtainable, they appear just like the least probably choice.
7. Las Vegas Raiders
Sure, the Las Vegas Raiders have a brand new coach in Pete Carroll, which makes them an fascinating group to trace heading into the upcoming season. However with questions at quarterback the Raiders stay mired in rebuilding mode, and barring a splash signing this offseason (the Raiders have the second-most efficient cap area within the league) there will likely be higher decisions for the league to open the season.
6. Dallas Cowboys
Once more, given the league’s historical past of avoiding divisional video games to open the season, sending the Dallas Cowboys to Lincoln Monetary Discipline to start the season doesn’t appear to be the selection. To be honest, there will likely be some fascinating storylines to trace this offseason with Dallas, beginning with Micah Parsons’ contract scenario and Dak Prescott’s return from damage, together with new head coach Brian Schottenheimer.
But when the league does need to put a divisional sport on the schedule to open the season, there’s a a lot better choice.
5. Denver Broncos
Now we’re getting someplace …
The Denver Broncos shocked many once they clinched a playoff spot behind rookie quarterback Bo Nix. Now, with over $30 million in efficient cap area, the Broncos can begin to construct round him, and that might make the Broncos a very fascinating group heading into the 2025 season.
A number of years in the past the league put one other fascinating group on the upward swing into the season-opening sport: The Detroit Lions, who would upset the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs in that sport two seasons in the past.
This may be an analogous transfer by the league.
4. Los Angeles Rams
A Divisional Spherical rematch may also be attractive to the league, which might see Matthew Stafford and the Rams make the journey to Philadelphia to kick off the season. Had been it not for the opposite groups slated to tackle the Eagles at Lincoln Monetary Discipline, this is likely to be the favourite.
3. Chicago Bears
There was a ton of pleasure across the Chicago Bears final offseason, with the additions of Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze within the draft. The Bears have been featured on Exhausting Knocks and thought of by some, together with this writer, to be a sneaky playoff group.
In fact, that was all derailed when the Bears misplaced ten straight video games, starting with a debacle in Washington when Chicago misplaced on a Hail Mary. Matt Eberflus was out, and the Bears have been in search of a brand new head coach this hiring cycle.
However with Ben Johnson coming over from Detroit — arguably the most well liked head teaching candidate every of the previous two hiring cycles — the thrill is again in Chicago. Will that be sufficient to see the Bears open the season?
In all probability not, however they’re an choice.
2. Washington Commanders
If, and this can be a huge if, the NFL have been to interrupt the development of not placing divisional video games on this spot, then the Commanders can be the sensible alternative.
Not solely would this be a rematch of the NFC Championship Recreation, that includes two of the sport’s younger and dynamic quarterbacks in Jalen Hurts and Jayden Daniels, however the Commanders are able to load up this offseason. Washington has the third simplest cap area obtainable within the league, and rumors are already swirling about strikes for gamers like Myles Garrett and Deebo Samuel.
If the Commanders have an enormous offseason, this may be value breaking that rule for.
1. Detroit Lions
Nonetheless, if the league stays true to kind, the Detroit Lions appear to be the logical alternative.
For a lot of, Eagles-Lions was going to be the NFC Championship Recreation this season, till the Commanders went into Detroit and shocked the Lions within the Divisional Spherical. However there will likely be loads of intrigue round Detroit heading into subsequent 12 months, with each Johnson and Aaron Glenn departing to take head teaching jobs. Dan Campbell will get a ton of gamers again after the group was devastated by accidents this previous season, together with move rusher Aidan Hutchinson.
If the opening sport is just not Washington-Philadelphia, then Eagles-Lions appears to be the probably decide.