Chiefs Face 1 Major Challenge in Official Schedule

The 2025 NFL regular season is now released in full and fans are buzzing for the games to kickoff. That will not happen for several months but the anticipation builds for next season. 

Fans of the Kansas City Chiefs have enjoyed the privilege of a few initial announcements regarding their schedule. Those appetizers set the table for the main course that arrived Wednesday evening. 

At a first glance, there plenty of reason for excitement. The Chiefs will play in Brazil while headlining both Thanksgiving and Christmas. Over half of their schedule provides either primetime or standalone matchups. 

When the league announced their Thanksgiving Day matchup with the Dallas Cowboys, some teased that they are the true modern definition of "America's Team."

That silly debate aside, the Chiefs have a schedule that will make them prove it. Kansas City has moved past February's Super Bowl embarrassment, but not forgotten it. The road ahead presents several major obstacles with familiar faces in the way to reclaim their throne atop the AFC and the league altogether. 

Perhaps the most anticipated challenge awaits them in Week 2 against the Philadelphia Eagles. The bully that blasted them belligerently can either springboard them into a strong start or force them back into a retrospective moment early on. 

A vengeful Baltimore Ravens squad captained by Lamar Jackson returns to town a few weeks later, hoping to return the favor of a gutting defeat from last season. 

And while the Eagles' matchup holds importance for revenge, they face the flip side of that dynamic right before the bye week when they visit the Buffalo Bills. Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen will write another chapter in their rivalry in a game that will undoubtedly factor into the AFC playoff picture

Those three have the most grandeur to them. But the Chiefs will also face the Houston Texans, Detroit Lions and Washington Commanders, all playoff teams last season. 

At the same time, they will be fending off a rising AFC West as the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers both made their own postseason breakthroughs a year ago. 

So yes, the Chiefs have their tough matchups that all teams face and the difficulty of a first-place schedule. Those are all expected obstacles for a champion. 

But in that crop there are also several season-defining matchups that demand their best and may cost them if they cannot bring it. And this will all take place with more eyes on them than ever before. 

Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Andy Reid have already proven themselves among the great dynasties of all time. Now, they must prove that they can keep it going.