NFL believes in Chargers as contenders with bump in primetime games

At the time of the 2025 schedule release, the Chargers were given three primetime games. Arizona, Kansas City, and Baltimore in the Harbaugh Bowl were the national night games that Los Angeles was originally scheduled to play.

Eventually, through the power of the league's flex rules, the Chargers received two more. The added Sunday and Thursday Night Football games against the Bengals and Broncos put the Chargers on the national stage for a total of five games last season.

Relative to the three night games they were originally given at schedule release in 2024, the Chargers will start with five primetime games from the jump this year. The national media spotlight will be on the Chargers in the following games:

• Week 1: vs. Kansas City (Brazil) 5PM PT (YouTube)

• Week 2: @ Las Vegas 7PM PT (MNF on ESPN)

• Week 8: vs. Minnesota 5:15 PM PT (TNF on Prime Video)

• Week 10: vs. Pittsburgh 5:20 PM PT (SNF on NBC)

• Week 14: vs. Philadelphia 5:15 PM PT (MNF on ESPN)

NFL shows belief in Chargers with bump in primetime games

Three of the teams' primetime games will be at SoFi Stadium, which is convenient from a scheduling standpoint. We'll have to wait and see what the Chargers do about the Brazil game, but one could figure they'd leave Los Angeles a little bit earlier to be able to ready the body clocks for that one.

Following the Brazil game, they'll get a decent break from Friday until Monday Night Football in Week 2. This is actually the same scheduling quirk the NFL used with Philadelphia as Brazil's home team last season.

If the Chargers live up to expectations, they could also be flexed into more primetime games down the stretch. The Chiefs and Cowboys have certainly been flexed into their fair share of primetime games before and serve as the Chargers' Week 15 and 16 opponents, respectively.

Los Angeles also has a playoff rematch against the Texans that has yet to be scheduled in Week 17. Last season, the Chargers' Week 17 game against the Patriots got placed into the Saturday standalone afternoon slot on NFL Network.

The Chargers will have to prove themselves as contenders, but the league clearly believes that they'll live up to their promise. At five originally scheduled five primetime games, the Chargers are tied for the third most primetime games in the league behind only Kansas City (7) and Dallas (6). Hopefully, Justin Herbert can have some elite showings for LA on the national stage.