The NFL schedule is finally set. All 32 teams now know their path for the 2025 season, which officially kicks off on Sept. 4. But before that, we’ve got the preseason—a critical stretch where veterans fight for roster spots and rookies try to prove they belong.
Here’s everything you need to know about the 2025 NFL preseason, including the full schedule.
2025 NFL Preseason Schedule
Hall of Fame Game: Los Angeles Chargers vs Detroit Lions, at Canton, Ohio (July 31)
- Start time: 8 p.m. ET
- Channel: NBC
Week 1 (Aug. 7-10)
- Kansas City Chiefs at Arizona Cardinals
- Detroit Lions at Atlanta Falcons
- Indianapolis Colts at Baltimore Ravens
- New York Giants at Buffalo Bills
- Cleveland Browns at Carolina Panthers
- Miami Dolphins at Chicago Bears
- New York Jets at Green Bay Packers
- Pittsburgh Steelers at Jacksonville Jaguars
- New Orleans Saints at Los Angeles Chargers
- Dallas Cowboys at Los Angeles Rams
- Houston Texans at Minnesota Vikings
- Washington Commanders at New England Patriots
- Cincinnati Bengals at Philadelphia Eagles
- Denver Broncos at San Francisco 49ers
- Las Vegas Raiders at Seattle Seahawks
- Tennessee Titans at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Week 2 (Aug. 14-18)
- Tennessee Titans at Atlanta Falcons
- Buffalo Bills at Chicago Bears (8/17, 8 p.m. ET, FOX)
- Baltimore Ravens at Dallas Cowboys
- Arizona Cardinals at Denver Broncos
- Miami Dolphins at Detroit Lions
- Carolina Panthers at Houston Texans
- Green Bay Packers at Indianapolis Colts
- San Francisco 49ers at Las Vegas Raiders
- Los Angeles Chargers at Los Angeles Rams
- New England Patriots at Minnesota Vikings
- Jacksonville Jaguars at New Orleans Saints
- New York Jets at New York Giants
- Cleveland Browns at Philadelphia Eagles
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Pittsburgh Steelers
- Kansas City Chiefs at Seattle Seahawks
- Cincinnati Bengals at Washington Commanders (8/18, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Week 3 (Aug. 21-24)
- Las Vegas Raiders at Arizona Cardinals
- Pittsburgh Steelers at Carolina Panthers
- Indianapolis Colts at Cincinnati Bengals
- Los Angeles Rams at Cleveland Browns
- Atlanta Falcons at Dallas Cowboys
- Houston Texans at Detroit Lions
- Seattle Seahawks at Green Bay Packers
- Chicago Bears at Kansas City Chiefs
- Jacksonville Jaguars at Miami Dolphins
- Denver Broncos at New Orleans Saints
- New England Patriots at New York Giants (8/21, 8 p.m. ET, Prime Video)
- Philadelphia Eagles at New York Jets
- Los Angeles Chargers at San Francisco 49ers
- Buffalo Bills at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Minnesota Vikings at Tennessee Titans (8/22, 8 p.m. ET, CBS)
- Baltimore Ravens at Washington Commanders
When Is the First 2025 NFL Preseason Game?
The preseason opens with the Hall of Fame Game, a tradition since 1962, held in Canton, Ohio, during the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction weekend. This year, the Chargers and Lions will face off on July 31.
In last year’s game, Chicago defeated Houston, 21-17, in a condensed contest, which was suspended in the third quarter due to heavy rain and lightning. For the first time in the Hall of Fame Game’s history, the 2024 contest was broadcast on ESPN. Previously, the game was always broadcast on NBC.
When Does the 2025 NFL Preseason End?
The NFL preseason will wrap up on Aug. 24.
Ever since the NFL transitioned to a three-week preseason schedule, teams have had a full week of rest before the regular season began.
The 2025 regular season gets underway on Thursday, Sept. 4, with the defending-champion Philadelphia Eagles hosting the Dallas Cowboys in a divisional game featuring one of the most heated rivalries in the NFL.
Once the preseason concludes, NFL teams will have 48 hours to trim their roster to 53 players. This year, the NFL’s roster cutdown day is Tuesday, Aug. 26, at 4 p.m. ET.
The league used to have three cutdown dates: one deadline for teams to trim their roster from 90 to 85 players, a second deadline for teams to reduce their rosters to 80 players, and a final deadline for teams to reach the 53-man limit for the regular season.
However, the NFL’s owners recently decided to make a change, and now there’s only one roster cutdown deadline. While teams are free to release players sooner if they’d like, this means most cuts happen simultaneously, and a ton of players hit the free agent pool at once. Teams then have a small window to evaluate their depth and take calculated risks on the available free agents.
How Many Preseason NFL Games Are There?
When the NFL adopted an 18-week schedule (with each team playing 17 games) in 2021, the league also decided to reduce the preseason schedule from four games to three. The only exceptions are the two teams that play in the Hall of Fame Game, as they play four exhibition contests.
The 2025 preseason slate will feature 49 games (including the Hall of Fame Game). The complete preseason schedule is available above.
Do NFL Players Get Paid During the Preseason?
Like all things related to the salary cap, the answer to whether NFL players are paid during training camp and the preseason is spelled out in the league’s most recent collective bargaining agreement (CBA), which was ratified in 2020.
According to Article 23 of the CBA, veteran players are entitled to per diem payments beginning on the first day of training camp and ending on the final day of camp. In this case, a veteran is defined as a player with at least one season of credited service.
During the 2025 season, veteran players earn $3,500 per week during training camp and the preseason. Meanwhile, first-year NFL players will receive a weekly rate of $2,000.
The CBA also mandates that every NFL player receive room and board during training camp. Additionally, “players who have not yet established residence in the team city” must receive housing between training camp and the Tuesday before their team’s first regular-season game.
