Originally posted on Detroit Lions on SI
By Christian Booher | Last updated May 14, 2025 9:02 PM ET
The Detroit Lions 2025 schedule has officially been released, and the team now knows its path to a third-straight NFC North title.
If the team were to three-peat, it will be on a tough journey with a schedule loaded with playoff teams. Detroit will play 11 of its 17 games against teams that made the playoffs last season and has the third-toughest schedule based on opposing projected win/loss totals.
Here are 10 takeaways from the reveal of the Lions’ 2025 schedule.
Opener at Lambeau
The Lions are hitting the road to begin the year, as they will travel to Lambeau Field to take on the Green Bay Packers. Detroit is looking to replicate what its been able to do in each of its last three trips to Wisconsin, which is leave with a victory.
In Dan Campbell’s four seasons as the head coach in Detroit, the Lions are 3-1 at Lambeau Field. The trip to open the year offers the Lions the opportunity to set a strong tone within the division to start the 2025 season.
Primetime showdowns against the best
The Lions will face both of the teams that squared off in the Super Bowl last season in primetime games this season. Both will be on the road in tough environments, and will certainly challenge Detroit’s ability to succeed on the road.
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First, the Lions will travel to Kansas City in Week 6 for a Sunday Night Football matchup. Detroit won at Arrowhead Stadium to open the 2023 campaign and will be looking to repeat that feat. In Week 11, the Lions will head to Philadelphia to square off with the reigning champions on Sunday Night Football.
Detroit will also travel to Baltimore in Week 3 for a Monday Night football matchup and have a Thursday Night matchup with Dallas in Week 14.
Reunion with Ben Johnson
There’s plenty of anticipation for the Lions’ first matchup with the Bears, who hired former Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson as head coach this offseason. The wait won’t be long, as the Bears will be the opponent for Detroit’s home opener in Week 2.
The Lions will make the return trip to Soldier Field to end the season, as Johnson will host his former team in Week 18 on a currently to be determined date. Traditionally, the NFL flexes its schedule for the final week of the season late in the year.
Early battles with AFC North
After battling with two straight divisional opponents to begin the year, the Lions will run the gauntlet of the AFC North with three straight opponents from that division. A Monday night trip to Baltimore begins the slate in Week 3, followed by a home game against Cleveland in Week 4 and a tilt at Cincinnati in Week 5.
The Lions lost to each of these three teams in their most recent meetings and will be looking to flip the script. They’ll play the fourth AFC North team, Pittsburgh, in Week 16 at home.
Outdoor games
Last season, the Lions played just three games in outdoor stadiums. There will be a significant uptick in this area in 2025, as they will play seven of their nine road games in outdoor environments. However, the schedule-makers did do the Lions a bit of a favor by having all but two scheduled in the first two months of the season.
Detroit’s trips to Green Bay, Baltimore, Cincinnati and Kansas City all come before the team’s Week eight bye. Following the break, the Lions will play outdoor games in Washington and Philadelphia in Weeks 10 and 11, which will both be played in November. After that, the Lions will play at Chicago to round out the schedule in Week 18.
Holiday exposure
The Lions are an annual fixture on Thanksgiving, which won’t change in 2025. They’ll host the Packers on the holiday this season, with the kickoff time bumped back from 12:30 p.m. to 1 p.m. Thanksgiving won’t be the only holiday they appear on, however. Detroit will also play on Christmas Day as part of a tripleheader on Netflix.
They will take on the Vikings in what could be a critical road showdown. With the game being played in the penultimate week of the season, this matchup could carry heavy divisional implications. Detroit has played on Christmas twice before
Three-game homestand
Following their two-game NFC East road trip, the Lions will enjoy a three-game homestand including back-to-back Thursday matchups. First, they will host the New York Giants in Week 12. This is prior to their consecutive home games on Thursdays against Green Bay and Dallas.
The matchup with Green Bay is on Thanksgiving, and the following week is convienient scheduling as Dallas will also be playing on the holiday. Detroit’s showdown with Dallas will be televised on Prime Video on Thursday Night Football.
Tough finish
The Lions‘ slate to finish the year will be a tough one, as they will play three of their final four games on the road. This includes trips to Los Angeles in Week 15, Minnesota in Week 17 and Chicago in Week 18.
The lone home game in that stretch will be a tilt with the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 16. This stretch does come on the heels of their three-game homestand, but the Steelers game will be the last one Detroit plays at home in the regular season.
Bye Week
After an early season bye week in 2024, the Lions will enjoy their week off closer to the midpoint in 2025. Detroit’s bye week is slated for Week 8, which serves as a good location for the team to heal from the bumps and bruises the early portion of the campaign typically provides.
QB check
Several teams could potentially have new faces under center when they face the Lions throughout the year. There will be mainstays, including Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, Jalen Hurts, Matthew Stafford and Joe Burrow, along with the likes of 2024 Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels. Detroit will see Burrow and Mahomes, two of the best in the league, in back-to-back weeks.
However, there will be multiple squads that have new passers for 2025. Most notably, division rival Minnesota will be operating with 2023 top-10 pick and former Michigan Wolverine J.J. McCarthy.
Could the Lions see Jaxson Dart suit up for the Giants or Shedeur Sanders for the Browns? Pittsburgh also has uncertainty at the position, and in Week 16 the team could have any of Mason Rudolph, Skylar Thompson or even Will Howard behind center.
