Ahead of a new NFL season there are a string of familiar staging posts, annual events that yet you know that things are ticking along.
There’s the various trade deadlines, the NFL Draft, and the first pictures of players returning to practice. Sandwiched between all that, though, is the all-important Schedule Release Day.
This year, that day came on Wednesday, 14 May and we now have the full list of NFL fixtures for the 2025 season. We now know who the Eagles begin their championship defense against, and who will be playing on those high-value Thanksgiving and Christmas Day television slots.
But we also know who won’t be playing each weekend. The league’s 18-week regular season structure demands that each team has one week off per season, their ‘bye’ week. Have a look at when your team will be getting a rest this year…
Full list of NFL byes for 2025
Week 5
- Chicago Bears
- Green Bay Packers
- Atlanta Falcons
- Pittsburgh Steelers
Week 6
- Minnesota Vikings
- Houston Texans
Week 7
- Buffalo Bills
- Baltimore Ravens
Week 8
- Detroit Lions
- Arizona Cardinals
- Los Angeles Rams
- Seattle Seahawks
- Jacksonville Jaguars
- Las Vegas Raiders
Week 9
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- New York Jets
- Cleveland Browns
Week 10
- Dallas Cowboys
- Cincinnati Bengals
- Tennessee Titans
- Kansas City Chiefs
Week 11
- New Orleans Saints
- Indianapolis Colts
Week 12
- Washington Commanders
- Miami Dolphins
- Denver Broncos
- Los Angeles Chargers
Week 14
- New York Giants
- Carolina Panthers
- San Francisco 49ers
- New England Patriots
For now, the NFL season is structured in a familiar format, with each team playing 17 games across an 18-week regular season. However things could soon be changing.
For years there has been talk of an 18th game for the NFL. For more than a decade it’s been a subject of discussion within the league, a chance to further boost the NFL’s incredible commercial power. And now, despite worries about over-playing and player safety, it looks like an extra game is getting closer.
CBS Sport reports that there is now an acceptance within team owners that an 18th game is like “a fait accompli” for the league. It won’t be imminent though, with sources stating that it’s unlikely to be implemented before 2027 at the earliest.
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