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Who Plays on 'Sunday Night Football' in Week 1 of the NFL Season?
Football fans, our wait is almost over.
After a bout of preseason games that just barely whet our appetites, the NFL will return in full force this week, starting with a contentious Eagles vs. Cowboys rivalry matchup on Thursday.
But what about the rest of the weekend? For a full Week 1 schedule breakdown, you can visit our write-up courtesy of Sports Illustrated's own Mike Kadlick. But if you're mainly interested in the headline Sunday Night Football matchup on Sept. 7, keep reading.
Week 1 'Sunday Night Football' Line-Up
The Bills will host the Ravens in the first Sunday Night Football contest of the 2025-26 season.
It's about as marquee of a match-up as you can get, featuring two of the league's best quarterbacks and two Super Bowl-hungry teams.
Will Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry run Buffalo into the ground? Or will the Bills' offense, led by the reigning MVP Josh Allen, take flight at home?
It all kicks off at 8:20 p.m. on NBC.
Full 2025-26 'Sunday Night Football' Schedule
Here's a look at the full SNF schedule, beyond just Week 1:
Week | Date | Matchup | Time | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Sept. 7 | Ravens @ Bills | 8:20 p.m. ET | NBC |
2 | Sept. 14 | Falcons @ Vikings | 8:20 p.m. ET | NBC |
3 | Sept. 21 | Chiefs @ Giants | 8:20 p.m. ET | NBC |
4 | Sept. 28 | Packers @ Cowboys | 8:20 p.m. ET | NBC |
5 | Oct. 5 | Patriots @ Bills | 8:20 p.m. ET | NBC |
6 | Oct. 12 | Lions @ Chiefs | 8:20 p.m. ET | NBC |
7 | Oct. 19 | Falcons @ 49ers | 8:20 p.m. ET | NBC |
8 | Oct. 29 | Packers @ Steelers | 8:20 p.m. ET | NBC |
9 | Nov. 2 | Seahawks @ Commanders | 8:20 p.m. ET | NBC |
10 | Nov. 9 | Steelers @ Chargers | 8:20 p.m. ET | NBC |
11 | Nov. 16 | Lions @ Eagles | 8:20 p.m. ET | NBC |
12 | Nov. 23 | Buccaneers @ Rams | 8:20 p.m. ET | NBC |
13* | Thursday, Nov. 27 (Thanksgiving) | Bengals @ Ravens | 8:20 p.m. ET | NBC |
13 | Nov. 30 | Broncos @ Commanders | 8:20 p.m. ET | NBC |
14 | Dec. 7 | Texans @ Chiefs | 8:20 p.m. ET | NBC |
15 | Dec. 14 | Vikings @ Cowboys | 8:20 p.m. ET | NBC |
16 | Dec. 21 | Bengals @ Dolphins | 8:20 p.m. ET | NBC |
17* | Saturday, Dec. 27 | Peacock Exclusive Game (Teams TBD) | TBD | Peacock |
17 | Dec. 28 | Bears @ 49ers | 8:20 p.m. ET | NBC |
18 | Jan. 4 | TBD | TBD | NBC |
More NFL on Sports Illustrated
Brigid Kennedy is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Before joining SI in November 2024, she covered political news, sporting news and culture at TheWeek.com before moving to Livingetc, an interior design magazine. She is a graduate of Syracuse University, dual majoring in television, radio and film (from the Newhouse School of Public Communications) and marketing managment (from the Whitman School of Management). Offline, she enjoys going to the movies, reading and watching the Steelers.