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NFL gifts Minnesota Vikings fans early Christmas present with latest 2025 schedule announcements

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Tyler Forness | Last updated May 12, 2025 9:31 PM ET

The National Football League has done a tremendous job of staying in the news throughout the entire calendar year. May is an interesting month, with rookie minicamps and OTAs. However, the one thing that steals the show is the schedule release.

We know the opponents that each team will have by the time the regular season ends. The only thing different than that list will be how the games are structured. The NFL announces primetime games, international games, and specific major matchups. It's a way to keep things going during the dead period.

Vikings unlikely to play on Christmas Day

The NFL played some of the first Wednesday games last year when they had two Christmas Day games. They were some of the highest-viewed games of the season. What they did to get those games was had all four of those teams play on the prior Saturday, so it was just a four-day difference to justify it.

This year, the NFL looks to be doing the same thing and announced two of their three games the Saturday prior to Christmas Day. Those games are the Philadelphia Eagles vs. Washington Commanders and Green Bay Packers vs. Chicago Bears.

We’re bringing the heat in Week 16 with a can't-miss doubleheader!

Catch an NFC East clash as the @Eagles take on the @Commanders, followed by an NFC North battle between the @packers and @ChicagoBears!

Saturday, December 20th on FOX pic.twitter.com/R56I4gsHLI
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) May 12, 2025

The NFC North and NFC East play each other this season, which makes this a perfect duo of divisions. They got three of the top teams in the league, along with the Bears, which is one of the biggest media markets in the world.

This also makes it a near certainty that the Vikings won't be playing on Christmas Day, which also means that the fanbase won't have to be stressed out on one of the biggest holidays of the year. They can sit back and enjoy the day without having to see a win or loss.

We will continue updating everything regarding the schedule.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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