We knew going in that the 2025 regular-season schedule for the Eagles would be a star-studded affair, a first-place team wrapped inside a World Champion with star power at every level. It is, indeed, the kind of schedule that pops, that is intended to showcase the most popular team in the National Football League (subjective view, yes).

The 2025 Philadelphia Eagles schedule is out and it is, to borrow from Seinfeld "spectacular." Here are 10 initial takeaways from a schedule that, based on the strength of final regular-season records from 2024, is the fourth hardest in the league (which means absolutely nothing as teams change from one season to the next) …

1. The Eagles are THE prime-time team of the season

There are five (potentially six, depending on the kickoff time of the Week 16 Saturday showdown in Washington) of them through the 17-game season and, wow, this is going to be fun. The Eagles open on Thursday night, September 4, against Dallas at Lincoln Financial Field. The Eagles have a second Thursday night game scheduled, against the Giants in Week 6 on October 9. Two Thursdays? Fine and dandy. There are also two Monday night games (at Green Bay in Week 10, following the bye week, and at the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 14, following the Black Friday game against Chicago). And the Eagles host the Lions on a Sunday night in Week 11 following the Packers game. Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday – at all Eagles games, baby!

2. Ending the season with a rugged slate is a test

Who knows how it is going to look by then, but as it appears now, the final three-game stretch of the regular season is going to be a doozy. At Washington on Saturday, December 20. At Buffalo and Josh Allen and a team that is a Super Bowl contender on Sunday, December 28, and then home with Washington in Week 18, game day and time to be determined. Nothing easy on paper there …

3. Weird NFC East scheduling …

What is the angle here? The Eagles play the Giants in Week 6 on Thursday night at MetLife Stadium and then host the Giants two games later at Lincoln Financial Field. Same with the schedule against Washington at the end of the season, with only the Buffalo game separating the meetings. What's up with that? The Eagles get Dallas in Week 1 and then travel to AT&T Stadium in Week 12 on Sunday, November 23, so at least there is some space between the games.

4. We'll know a lot about the Eagles from the jump

We all believe the Eagles are going to be a very, very good team. The NFL obviously believes that as well, given all of the national attention. As much as the backend of the schedule brings attention, so does the first five weeks, with games against the biggest rival of all, Dallas, to open things up and then this four-pack of bangers: At Kansas City on Sunday, September 14; home with the Los Angeles Rams, Sunday, September 21; at Tampa Bay, Sunday, September 28; and home with Denver on Sunday, October 5. The Kansas City game is one playoff rematch, against the team the Eagles defeated in Super Bowl LIX. Los Angeles played the Eagles down to the wire in the NFC Divisional Playoff Game at Lincoln Financial Field. Playing a very good Tampa Bay team in late September is always tough and then hosting Denver is going to be a real challenge before the short-week trip to the Giants. Kansas City, Los Angeles, Tampa Bay, Denver – all 2024 playoff teams and all teams that on paper had very aggressive and positive offseasons.

5. The best game of the year? Gosh, there are so many but …

Whether or not it is the best game of the year is to be determined – aren't they ALL the best games of the year – but the Week 11 game against Detroit at Lincoln Financial Field may be the most TELLING game of the year for a variety of reasons, right? It's smack-dab in the middle of the season – November 16 – the time when the really good teams start to rev up for the postseason run. And Detroit is expected to be a Super Bowl-contending team, no doubt about it. So, yeah, that game is one to circle …

6. In fact, that STRETCH is a good one to circle …

What is so great about the schedule is that there are MULTIPLE stretches where you say, "this is going to be very, very tough." The final three games, for sure. The opening month-plus, yes. But how about this one: At Green Bay coming out of the bye in Week 10 on Monday, November 10; home with Detroit the following Sunday; and then at Dallas one week later, on Sunday, November 23?

7. An underrated matchup

Chip Kelly is the offensive coordinator with the Las Vegas Raiders, who come to South Philadelphia on Sunday, December 14. Las Vegas has a new quarterback in Geno Smith, a new running back in first-round draft pick Ashton Jeanty, and the new offensive scheme. The Raiders haven't played at Lincoln Financial Field since that bitterly cold Christmas night game in 2017 when quarterback Nick Foles paced the Eagles to a tough 19-10 win to clinch the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs. The Eagles went on to win Super Bowl LII that season, so could that mean …?

8. No back-to-back weeks at home

Weird, but the Eagles don't have a back-to-back scenario for home games this season. They are on the road for back-to-back games in Week 6 (at Giants) and Week 7 (at Vikings) and a second time in Week 16 (at Washington) and Week 17 (at Buffalo). Odd, but true.

9. The bye week, as always, comes at the perfect time

In this instance, the Eagles have a bye week following the Week 8 game against the New York Giants, so that Week 9 rest will be lovely. But let's make this clear: The bye week is ALWAYS perfect. Those who wondered about the bye week in 2024 coming after four games learned a valuable lesson: It isn't necessarily when the bye week comes, it's what the team does with that valuable downtime. The 2024 Eagles were 2-2 at the bye week and then handled that week perfectly, conducted some self-evaluation, and returned to the playing field and ripped off 16 wins in the next 17 games on their way to the Super Bowl. So much for worrying about early bye weeks …

10. Travel quirks? Not a whole lot to talk about here

It just seems so normal: The Eagles fly to Kansas City and Tampa Bay in September, Minnesota in October, Green Bay and Dallas in November, Los Angeles (Chargers) and Buffalo in December. (Fan note: If you are going to Buffalo, hey, you are a brave fan. December 28 in Buffalo? You know what you're signing up for – a great football experience, uh, and it could be extremely unpleasant weather. If you are planning to go to Green Bay and Lambeau Field in early November (November 10, to be exact), you will see the legendary stadium under the lights in what should be really nice weather. It's a reasonable travel and road schedule. It's a start-to-finish great slate.

Line 'em up and let's play some football! The regular season schedule is here – mark your calendars for all the fun!