The NFL 2025 schedule is out. For the Patriots, here are 6 things to keep an eye on this upcoming season.
The NFL officially announced the entirety of the 2025 season schedule Wednesday night and there are plenty of upcoming storylines to note.
For the New England Patriots, here are six things to keep an eye on on this year’s schedule.
For Immediate Release pic.twitter.com/bcxYRZE2da
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) May 15, 2025
Home schedule
After starting the year on the road last year, the Patriots will open the 2025 season at Gillette Stadium with the Las Vegas Raiders coming to town. The new-look Raiders are coached by Pete Carroll and quarterbacked by Geno Smith, who defeated the Patriots in Foxboro last year throwing for 327 yards and a touchdown as a member of the Seahawks.
The rest of New England’s nine-game home slate projects to feature an overall weaker quarterback class. Teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns, and New York Giants enter the season with question marks at the position. The Carolina Panthers, Atlanta Falcons, and New York Jets all have new or young gunslingers at the helm.
For a Patriots team that has won three total home games over the last two seasons, the home slate feels favorbale for them to begin to right the ship.
Primetime
In the midst of back-to-back four wins seasons, the Patriots have been a rarity in prime-time of late — even having the minimum one prime-time matchup last year in an early season Thursday night defeat to the Jets. Things will be different this go around as the buzz around Mike Vrabel, Drake Maye and the team grows, which the Patriots have parlayed into three standalone matchups.
Two will come against New York teams later in the year, with a TNF matchup against the Jets in Week 11 and a MNF tilt vs. the Giants in Week 13. New England will also take on the Buffalo Bills on Sunday Night Football in Week 5.
Bye week
For the second straight season, the Patriots will have the latest possible bye on the schedule last year in Week 14.
Coming out of the bye has been a challenge for the Patriots in recent years going a combined 3-8 (1-3 last year with the one win coming in Week 18 last season) over the last two years. New England will look to change those results starting with an earlier week off, which will start with a 15 matchup at home against the Bills.
Return to Tennessee
After coaching for the Titans for five seasons — where he appeared in one AFC Championship Game and won one Coach of the Year Award — Mike Vrabel will make his return to Tennessee in Week 7 to cap off a three game road trip.
It will also mark Drake Maye and the Patriots matching up with Cam Ward, the second straight year they’ll take on the No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward. New England could also face the second (Jaxson Dart) and third (Tyler Shough) quarterbacks drafted in the 2025 NFL Draft if they are starting for their teams by Week 13 and 6, respectively.
Travel
New England will not have to take many long trips this year, as the 12,547 miles they are set to travel is the sixth lowest in the league. Much of that has to do with them not playing an international game for the first time since 2022.
Most of the Patriots road opponents are also along the east coast, with the furthest games out west coming in Cincinnati and New Orleans.
Top picks
With the fourth overall pick in the 2025 Draft, the Patriots ultimately decided on left tackle Will Campbell. There were other avenues they ultimately could have went down and the team is set to face off with many of those options inside the top ten picks.
Beyond the aforementioned Cam Ward, New England will see Abdul Carter (3rd overall), Mason Graham (5th), Ashton Jeanty (6th), Armand Membou (7th), Tet McMillan (8th), and Kelvin Banks (9th). The only top ten picks the Patriots will not see is Travis Hunter and Colston Loveland.