EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The New York Giants' 2025 schedule was released along with the rest of the NFL slate Wednesday.
And if there were any thoughts that it would be easy for the Giants to get back to respectability this season, think again. Their schedule, the hardest in the league, says the opposite. It's difficult right from the start, beginning with two division games on the road in Washington and Dallas. When they finally get to their home opener, it's against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Giants' schedule doesn't seem to get much easier from there either, until maybe the final month. By then, will first-round quarterback Jaxson Dart be the starter? That is something to watch if New York starts slowly coming off a 3-14 season and with pressure on general manager Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll to produce better results immediately.
Here's what's in store for the Giants:
Giants 2025 regular-season schedule
Week 1: Sept. 7 at Washington Commanders
Week 2: Sept. 14 at Dallas Cowboys
Week 3: Sept. 21 vs. Chiefs (SNF)
Week 4: Sept. 28 vs. Los Angeles Chargers
Week 5: Oct. 5 at New Orleans Saints
Week 6: Oct. 9 vs. Philadelphia Eagles (TNF)
Week 7: Oct. 19 at Denver Broncos
Week 8: Oct. 26 at Eagles
Week 9: Nov. 2 vs. San Francisco 49ers
Week 10: Nov. 9 at Chicago Bears
Week 11: Nov. 16 vs. Green Bay Packers
Week 12: Nov. 23 at Detroit Lions
Week 13: Dec. 1 at New England Patriots (MNF)
Week 14: Bye week
Week 15: Dec. 14 vs. Commanders
Week 16: Dec. 21 vs. Minnesota Vikings
Week 17: Dec. 28 at Las Vegas Raiders
Week 18: vs. Cowboys
*Dates and/or times for Weeks 17 and 18 are to be determined
Strength of schedule: 0.574 (32nd hardest)
Over/Under: 5.5 wins
Biggest takeaway
The opening stretch is brutal. The Commanders are an up-and-coming team who made the NFC Championship Game last season. The Giants haven't beaten the Cowboys (eight straight losses) since Joe Judge was the coach. Kansas City has been to four of the past five Super Bowls with Mahomes at quarterback. Throw in two matchups with the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles and games against the Broncos and Chargers, both playoff teams last season, and the Giants are likely to be underdogs in at least seven of their first eight games. They'll have to pull off some early upsets or the pressure on Schoen and Daboll will be intense.
Circle this date
The Week 6 Thursday night matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles. By this point it will be apparent where this season is headed. Will all the defensive reinforcements, beginning with No. 3 overall pick Abdul Carter, have the Giants at least able to compete with some of the league's best teams? Saquon Barkley did whatever he wanted last season against his former team. In his second season in Philadelphia it will become more apparent whether the reallocation of resources was prudent for New York.
Key stretch
The final five weeks, beginning with a nationally-televised Monday Night Football matchup against the Patriots, seems to provide the best opportunity for the Giants to win some games. Or to at least feel good about the direction of the franchise (see: Dart starting). That's important considering owner John Mara said he was going to have to be in a "better mood" at the end of this season in order to not contemplate the futures of his coach and GM. Even if the Giants aren't in the playoff race, results down the stretch could guide the future direction of the franchise.
Bold prediction
The Giants will steal a win on the road in the first two weeks against a division rival. For most teams, that might not seem like much. But New York went 0-6 in the division last year and needs to get off to a strong start. The Giants have won their season opener just twice in the past 13 years, with their only two playoff seasons coming in years when they won in Week 1.
When will be the right time for the Giants to turn to Jaxson Dart as the starter?
In an ideal world, Schoen and Daboll would rather let Dart sit and learn in a redshirt year behind Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston. But that might not be possible if they stumble out of the gate. If things go really poorly, Week 7 with 10 days before a game in Denver seems like a possible insertion point. Otherwise, all eyes could be on the second Commanders matchup off a notably late Week 14 bye.