NEW YORK — September 2, 2025 — The NFL returns this week and it’s time to get back to football! Kickoff Weekend presented by YouTube TV signals the start of a 272-game journey, one that promises hope for each of the league’s 32 teams as they set their sights on Super Bowl LX, which will be played on Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.
For Week 1 capsules, click here.
Here’s a look at a few interesting storylines entering Kickoff Weekend:
- Division Rivalries on Kickoff Weekend: The 106th season of NFL play kicks off on Thursday night (NBC, 8:20 p.m. ET) as the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles host the Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field in an NFC East showdown. Kickoff Weekend continues Friday, Sept. 5 in São Paulo – the second-consecutive season the NFL will play in Brazil in Week 1 – as the Kansas City Chiefs meet the Los Angeles Chargers (8 p.m. ET, YouTube) in a matchup of AFC West foes.
In total, Week 1 of the 2025 season features eight divisional games, the fifth time since realignment in 2002 with at least eight divisional games on Kickoff Weekend, along with 2023 (eight), 2020 (nine), 2011 (eight) and 2008 (eight). - Back-to-Back Super Bowls?: The Philadelphia Eagles can become the 10th team ever to repeat as Super Bowl champions. Since 2000, the defending Super Bowl champions have started the following year with a win on Kickoff Weekend in 20 of the past 25 seasons.
- MVPs Meet on Sunday Night: When two-time Most Valuable Player Lamar Jackson (2019 and 2023) and the Baltimore Ravens visit reigning MVP Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills on Sunday Night Football (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC), it will mark a rematch of the 2024 AFC Divisional Playoffs and the fifth time ever that the two most recent Most Valuable Players will meet in Week 1.
The previous occurrences of the two most recent Most Valuable Players meetings in Week 1: 2024 (Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes), 2000 (Pro Football Hall of Famers Terrell Davis and Kurt Warner), 1998 (Pro Football Hall of Famers Brett Favre and Barry Sanders) and 1980 (Pro Football Hall of Famers Terry Bradshaw and Earl Campbell).
Baltimore and Buffalo met twice last season, with the Ravens earning a 35-10 victory in Week 4 in Baltimore while the Bills secured a 27-25 win in the AFC Divisional Playoffs in Buffalo. - Every Team Has a Chance: Entering the 2025 season, every team has hope and here are a few reasons why…
- Since 1990 – a streak of 35 consecutive seasons – at least four teams have qualified for the playoffs that were not in the postseason the year before. There were four new playoff teams last season – Denver, the Los Angeles Chargers, Minnesota and Washington.
- In 26 of the past 29 seasons (1996-2024), at least one team has made the playoffs the season after finishing in last or tied for last place. The Chargers, Vikings and Commanders each accomplished the feat last season.
- In six consecutive seasons (2019-24) and in 21 of the past 23 seasons (2002-24), a team that chose in the top five of the NFL Draft has qualified for the postseason. Washington accomplished this feat last season after selecting quarterback Jayden Daniels with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft while the Los Angeles Chargers qualified for the postseason after choosing tackle Joe Alt with the No. 5 overall selection.
- New Quarterbacks Under Center: Twelve teams are expected to have a different starting quarterback in Week 1 than started for them to open the season last year: Atlanta (Michael Penix Jr.) Cleveland (Joe Flacco), Indianapolis (Daniel Jones), Las Vegas (Geno Smith), Minnesota (J.J. McCarthy), New England (Drake Maye), New Orleans (Spencer Rattler), the New York Giants (Russell Wilson), the New York Jets (Justin Fields), Pittsburgh (Aaron Rodgers), Seattle (Sam Darnold) and Tennessee (Cam Ward).
Additional notes about the Week 1 slate:
- 2024 Playoff Teams Meet on Kickoff Weekend: Four Week 1 matchups feature two teams that each qualified for the playoffs last year:
- Kansas City vs. the Los Angeles Chargers (8 p.m. ET, YouTube, on Friday in São Paulo): The Chiefs have won seven consecutive games against the Chargers, with each of the last three wins featuring the game-winning go-ahead score in the final seven minutes of the fourth quarter.
- Detroit at Green Bay (4:25 p.m. ET, CBS, Sunday): Since 2021, when Dan Cambell was hired as head coach, the Lions have a 6-2 record against the Packers, including three consecutive wins at Lambeau Field.
- Houston at the Los Angeles Rams (4:25 p.m. ET, CBS, Sunday): The reigning AFC South champion Texans and reigning NFC West champion Rams are set to meet for the first time since 2021. Houston running back Nick Chubb and Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Davante Adams are expected to make their club debuts on Kickoff Weekend.
- Baltimore at Buffalo (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC, Sunday Night Football): The only game on Kickoff Weekend that is a rematch from the 2024 postseason, the Bills and Ravens are set to meet for the fifth time in the past six seasons, including the playoffs. In the 2024 AFC Divisional playoffs, the Bills defeated the Ravens at home, 27-25, while Baltimore earned a 35-10 home win over Buffalo in the regular season in Week 4.
- Tampa Bay at Atlanta (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX): Tampa Bay wide receiver Mike Evans leads all active players with 105 touchdown receptions and ranks second with 12,684 receiving yards entering the 2025 season. This year, Evans can become the first player in NFL history with at least 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first 12 career seasons.
- Cincinnati at Cleveland (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX): Cincinnati wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, in 2024, became the fifth player in NFL history to lead the league in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Jerry Rice (1990) and Sterling Sharpe (1992) as well as Steve Smith (2005) and Cooper Kupp (2021). Since 1970, only three players have led the NFL in receiving yards in consecutive seasons: Pro Football Hall of Famers Andre Johnson (2008-09), Calvin Johnson (2011-12) and Rice (1989-90, 1993-95).
- Pittsburgh at the New York Jets (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS): Pittsburgh quarterback Aaron Rodgers enters the 2025 season leading all active players with 503 regular-season touchdown passes and 548 touchdown passes, including the postseason. This season, he needs five touchdown passes to surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer Brett Favre (552 touchdown passes) for the fourth-most touchdown passes, including the postseason, in NFL history and six touchdown passes to surpass Favre (508 touchdown passes) for the fourth-most regular-season touchdown passes all-time.
- Tennessee at Denver (Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET, FOX): The Tennessee Titans selected Cam Ward with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Since 1967, 19 quarterbacks have been selected with the first pick in the NFL Draft and started in Week 1 of their rookie season, including each of the past five quarterbacks chosen No. 1 overall [Caleb Williams (2024), Bryce Young (2023), Trevor Lawrence (2021), Joe Burrow (2020) and Kyler Murray (2019)].
- Minnesota at Chicago (Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN): Minnesota quarterback J.J. McCarthy, the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, is expected to make his first NFL debut on Kickoff Weekend. McCarthy can become the fifth quarterback since 1990 to make his first career start on a Monday, joining Sam Darnold (September 10, 2018 at Detroit, with the New York Jets), Aaron Rodgers (September 8, 2008 vs. Minnesota, with Green Bay), Philip Rivers (September 11, 2006 at the Oakland Raiders, with San Diego) and Brian Griese (September 13, 1999 vs. Miami, with Denver).
###
