The NFL schedule release feels like unwrapping a late Christmas present every year. And just like always, this one’s got a twist. The 2025 schedule has people buzzing, and not in the jingle bell way. Remember how football fans lit up the internet last season, dragging Roger Goodell for throwing a game on Christmas Day? People criticized Goodell, demanding a break for players on Christmas. But it looks like not everyone wants to kick back with cocoa and reruns of The Holiday. Patrick Mahomes and his crew have other plans, and the league has officially put a stamp on them.
Mahomes and the Chiefs are back in the Christmas spotlight. And it turns out, they asked for it. Kansas City reportedly requested to play on Christmas Day. “When it comes to domestic stand-alone games, the Chiefs have requested that the NFL make them a fixture on Christmas Day, according to a league source,” reported Popper and Taylor of The Athletic. Well, the Chiefs asked, and the league granted it. On Monday, The Athletic‘s NFL insider Dianna Russini confirmed the same in her post on X, “The Chiefs requested to play on Christmas Day and they got their wish,” she wrote, reposting Prime Video’s announcement on X. The game is part of Amazon Prime’s Thursday Night Football slate.
The Chiefs requested to play on Christmas Day — and they got their wish.
More from last month via @ByNateTaylor and @danielrpopper https://t.co/8fGvYgfpsR https://t.co/twtNYJjVS8
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) May 12, 2025
This will be the third straight year that Patrick Mahomes and Co. will be playing on Christmas Day. Last year, the Chiefs faced the Steelers at their home, Acrisure Stadium. That game streamed on Netflix and drew over 24.1 million viewers, per Nielsen. It looks like Kansas City owner Clark Hunt is taking a page out of the Lions and Cowboys playbook, both of which have consistently hosted games on Thanksgiving for decades. “The Chiefs want a holiday game to call their own and reportedly asked the NFL to make them a staple of the Christmas Day schedule,” The Athletic reported.
So, as Patrick Mahomes locks down the Christmas Day spot, Philly’s star QB Jalen Hurts has snagged Black Friday for the Eagles. So while America is busy shopping, the defending champions will be on the gridiron. They will be going head-to-head with Caleb Williams and Co.
NFL drops teasers ahead of the 2025 schedule
Well, the long wait is finally over. The football vibes are back, and the NFL is already giving us a taste of what’s coming. Kicking things off, the season opener will be a showdown between the defending champions and Jerry Jones’ Cowboys on September 4. Jalen Hurts and the Eagles will have another Black Friday game. Plus a pre-Christmas game against the Commanders on December 20. Speaking of the Commanders, they’ll also be heading across borders for an international game against the Dolphins. According to The Palm Beach Post, the two teams will face off in Madrid.
Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs are also going international. They’re set to play Jim Harbaugh’s Chargers in what will be the second game of the 2025 season. That game is scheduled to be played in São Paulo. Besides Brazil and Spain, the league has five other international games lined up, three in London, one in Ireland, and one in Germany. The Jets, Browns, Jaguars, Colts, and Steelers are the other teams set to play on international gridirons.
However, the NFL hasn’t revealed the matchups yet, so we’ll have to wait a little longer to see who’s going head-to-head overseas. The full 2025 schedule drops on Wednesday, May 14. With holiday showdowns, globe-trotting matchups, and headline clashes already in the mix, the 2025 NFL season is shaping up to be just as electric as ever. From Patrick Mahomes’ Christmas wish to games kicking off in Spain and Brazil, the league is dialing things up in a big way. And if these early teasers are just the appetizer, imagine what the full schedule’s about to serve. So, are you ready for another wild ride through America’s favorite game?
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