KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Kansas City Chiefs' 2025 schedule was released along with the rest of the NFL slate Wednesday.
The Chiefs don't have to wait long for their Super Bowl LIX rematch against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Chiefs and Eagles will meet on Sept. 14 in Week 2 at Arrowhead Stadium. They play games on both Thanksgiving (against the Cowboys in Dallas) and Christmas Day (against the Broncos at Arrowhead Stadium).
Another highlight of the schedule is seven prime-time games, with three on Sunday, two on Monday, one on Thursday and the season opener against the Chargers on a Friday night in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Here's what's in store for the Chiefs:
Chiefs 2025 regular-season schedule
Week 1: Sept. 5 vs. Los Angeles Chargers (in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Friday)
Week 2: Sept. 14 vs. Eagles
Week 3: Sept. 21 at New York Giants (SNF)
Week 4: Sept. 28 vs. Baltimore Ravens
Week 5: Oct. 6 at Jacksonville Jaguars (MNF)
Week 6: Oct. 12 vs. Detroit Lions (SNF)
Week 7: Oct. 19 vs. Las Vegas Raiders
Week 8: Oct. 27 vs. Washington Commanders (MNF)
Week 9: Nov. 2 at Buffalo Bills
Week 10: Bye
Week 11: Nov. 16 at Denver Broncos
Week 12: Nov. 23 vs. Indianapolis Colts
Week 13: Nov. 28 at Dallas Cowboys (Thanksgiving)
Week 14: Dec. 7 vs. Houston Texans (SNF)
Week 15: Dec. 14 vs. Chargers
Week 16: Dec. 21 at Tennessee Titans
Week 17: Dec. 25 vs. Broncos (TNF)
Week 18: Jan. 3 or 4 at Raiders
*Dates for Weeks 15 and 18 are to be determined
Strength of schedule: 11th hardest
Over/Under: 11.5
Biggest takeaway
It's a normal schedule for the Chiefs compared to the one they had in 2024, when they played at least one game every day of the week except Tuesday. This year, they skip Wednesday and Saturday in addition to Tuesday. So while the Chiefs have their share of weeks where it's something other than six days between games, those weeks aren't as frequent as they were last season. That should help the Chiefs with preparation.
Circle this date
The Chiefs are still stinging from their Super Bowl LIX loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, but they won't have to wait long for a chance at revenge. Philadelphia comes to Arrowhead Stadium on Sept. 14. The Chiefs under Andy Reid generally have tried not to make any game, particularly one so early in the season, bigger than another. They might break their unwritten rule in Week 2.
Key stretch
The Chiefs might well look back on a closing stretch of schedule that includes three games against divisional opponents as the stretch when the AFC West was won or lost. The Chiefs meet the Chargers in Week 15 and Broncos in Week 17, both at Arrowhead Stadium, before finishing the season against the Raiders in Las Vegas.
Bold prediction
The Broncos will sweep the two-game season series from the Chiefs for the first time since 2014. Denver has been all the Chiefs could handle in the four games between the teams since Sean Payton was hired as Broncos coach. The Chiefs managed a two-game split by blocking a field-goal attempt on the last play of their Week 10 game in Kansas City. Denver broke a 16-game losing streak to the Chiefs in 2023 and routed the Chiefs 38-0 in Week 18 last season, albeit against an opponent that rested Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Chris Jones and other starters for the playoffs.
Will the Chiefs have clinched their playoff seed by Week 18 and get to rest their starters?
That's a tough thing to predict in any case, but the Chiefs' schedule looks too demanding for them to get what amounts to a bye in the final game. The Chiefs might well claim a 10th straight AFC West championship, and if they do, expect them to have to work right up to the end of the regular season to get it.