The start of the 2025 NFL season still sits many months away, but Bengals fans are eager for action following an underwhelming 2024 campaign. Luckily, we're inching closer towards one of the more exciting aspects of the offseason: The official schedule release.
The exact date that the full schedule for next season will be released remains a mystery, but a league executive recently provided some insight into the general timeframe for the schedule release.
“Somewhere in the May 13, 14 or 15 range is probably still our target,” NFL Vice President of Broadcasting Planning Mike North said during a appearance on the It’s Always Gameday in Buffalo podcast, via Sports Illustrated.
2025 NFL schedule expected to be released in mid-May
Now, this isn't exactly earth-shattering news, as it's completely in line with the dates that the schedule has been released over the past few seasons. Last year, the schedule dropped on May 15. It came out on May 11 in 2023 and was released on May 12 the two previous years.
The league used to release the schedule prior to the annual NFL Draft, but the order of operations was shifted in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That year, the schedule ended up being released after the draft, which worked well. The league has kept this format since then, as it allows for the destinations of top rookies to be factored into the schedule-making process.
The Bengals will play 17 regular season games in 2025. Nine of those games will take place at home, while the other eight will be road games. There's also the possibility that the team could play an international game, possibly in Madrid, Spain.
Here's a look at the eight teams that the Bengals will play on the road in 2025:
- Baltimore Ravens
- Cleveland Browns
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- Buffalo Bills
- Miami Dolphins
- Denver Broncos
- Green Bay Packers
- Minnesota Vikings
And here are the nine opponents the Bengals will host at home:
- Baltimore Ravens
- Cleveland Browns
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- New England Patriots
- New York Jets
- Jacksonville Jaguars
- Chicago Bears
- Detroit Lions
- Arizona Cardinals
Once mid-May rolls around, Bengals fans will want to pay attention for the official schedule release from the league.
