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Given how popular the NFL has become, practically anything that has to do with the league becomes a major event. In recent years, the release of the season's schedule has become as grand of an event as free agency or the NFL Draft. Fans already know their team's opponents for a season way before, but the release of the schedule allows plans to be made ahead of time.
With the schedules now completely known, specific games have been pinpointed as ones to mark on the calendar. The Kansas City Chiefs taking on the Dallas Cowboys might be the biggest one. AFC powerhouses the Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens meeting in primetime in Week 1 should be a doozy as well. But while the focus is on the big matchups, an underlying talking point is the quality of opponents teams will face.
New York Giants have the toughest schedule in 2025
Strength of schedule is a sometimes underestimated part of trying to figure out which teams will have good seasons. For 2025, the New York Giants have the toughest tests of any team; shortly followed by the Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions.
The reigning champion Philadelphia Eagles are in fourth, so a repeat run won't be easy. It's not much of a surprise that their NFC East rivals, the Cowboys, are right behind them.
The good news for the Chiefs? They're 11th in strength of schedule, which could give them a leg up on the AFC. That would be especially true if one of their top rivals, the Bills, didn't have a measly .467 strength of schedule. That ranks 10th-lightest in the league.
Lastly, the San Francisco 49ers have the easiest schedule. Of course, this is all based on records from 2024, but it could pave the way for a strong comeback season by the Niners.