The Super Bowl champions will open the 2025 NFL season against their most-hated rivals. The Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys will play in the league’s opening game, kicking off all the action before any other teams take the field.
The two teams will play Thursday, Sept. 4 at Lincoln Financial Field. The game will take place at 8:20 p.m. ET and air on NBC, with streaming on Peacock and the NFL+ app.
The defending Super Bowl champs always open the NFL season, so fans knew the Eagles would play in the contest. Pitting them against the Cowboys should draw plenty of eyes. Despite last winning a Super Bowl in the 1995 season, Dallas remains one of the most popular teams in the NFL. The Cowboys also play in the same division as the Eagles, making the first contest of the 2025 NFL season a massive rivalry game.
Advertisement
The Cowboys are seeking a bounce-back campaign after going 7-10 and missing the playoffs last season. Quarterback Dak Prescott missed time, causing the team to stumble after opening the year 3-2. As a response, the Cowboys opted not to bring back head coach Mike McCarthy. It hired offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer as McCarthy’s replacement. It will mark Schottenheimer’s first game as the team’s head coach. It will also mark George Pickens‘ first game with the team after he was acquired as part of an offseason trade.
The Eagles are looking to defend their Super Bowl championship after routing the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22 to end the 2024 NFL season. Philadelphia turned in a tremendous regular season, going 14-3 and earning the No. 2 seed in the NFC. The team then fought its way past the Green Bay Packers, Los Angeles Rams and Washington Commanders before dismantling the Chiefs in the Super Bowl.
While the 2025 NFL opener looks strong on paper, the Eagles dominated the series last season. Philadelphia beat Dallas in both games played by the teams last season, doing so in commanding fashion, outscoring the Cowboys 75-13 in those contests.
