Best NFC 2025 NFL Draft picks
USA TODAY’s Tyler Dragon breaks down which teams in the NFC drafted the best this year.
Sports Seriously
The Detroit Lions are no longer the hunter. They are the hunted.
Detroit used to be the loveable losers, a team that mostly everyone rooted for. Then Dan Campbell arrived, and they became a team to be reckoned with. The Lions are now the ones that punch their opponents in the mouth, almost transitioning to the villain in a way.
After all, you either die a hero or live long enough to become the villain.
Yet the Lions have their work cut out for them in 2025.
Fresh off another disappointing playoff loss, Detroit saw their coaching staff raided and lost both coordinators. They went 15-2 in 2024 and almost certainly face a regression of sorts this season.
The path won’t be easy, but these Lions seem to prefer it that way. They are still looking for that first Super Bowl win or appearance in franchise history. Before focusing on the playoffs, there are 18 weeks and 17 games that stand in their way.
Here’s a look at the opponents that the Lions will take on in 2025.
Lions 2025 opponents
Here’s the full list of Lions opponents for 2025:
HomeRoadChicago BearsGreen Bay PackersMinnesota VikingsWashington CommandersPhiladelphia EaglesCincinnati BengalsBaltimore RavensKansas City ChiefsLos Angeles Rams
Just like every season, the Lions will face off against their division foes – the Packers, Bears and Vikings – at home and on the road. This year, they’ll also take on the AFC North and NFC East teams as part of the NFL’s rotating schedule.
The Buccaneers, Rams and Chiefs close out the slate of opponents for the Lions in 2025. Those teams were determined by the Lions’ first-place finish in their division.
Thanks to the NFL’s unbalanced schedule, it’s the AFC’s turn for an extra home game this season. That means the Lions will play an additional road game next season, with nine of the 17 coming away from Ford Field.
When is the 2025 NFL schedule release?
The 2025 NFL schedule release is slated in full on Wednesday, May 14.
It has essentially become the final marquee offseason event of the NFL calendar, representing the official turning of the page to next season.
All 32 teams will see their entire 18-week roadmap to the 2025 regular season revealed on schedule release day. Leaks will trickle out in the days leading up to it, but the fall calendar will begin to take shape after the official release.
This year’s schedule release will be held one day earlier than last year’s, which was on May 15. The NFL announced the full 2024 schedule at 8 p.m. ET that night, so fans can expect a similar release time for this year’s schedule.