NFL scheduling exec responds to Joe Burrow complaint about upcoming Bengals-Ravens prime-time game

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow raised some eyebrows when he said shortly after the full NFL schedule was released earlier in May that the Bengals having to play at the division-rival Baltimore Ravens "for the fourth straight prime-time year isn't ideal."

During a recent chat with Geoff Hobson of the Bengals' website, NFL vice president of broadcast planning and scheduling Mike North responded to Burrow's complaint. 

"It's fair," North said. "It's not a one-or-two years sort of a league where you fix every problem every other year or every two years. Once you start getting to the same thing three years in a row, four, or five years in a row, whether it's a short week Thursday on the road or opening on the road. When trends like that emerge, we probably have to adjust at some point."

Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio pointed out that the Bengals had to visit the Ravens for a Thursday night showdown after playing the previous Sunday in each of the past two seasons. Before Cincinnati faces Baltimore at M&T Bank Stadium on Thanksgiving night (Nov. 27), the Bengals will host the New England Patriots for a Week 12 clash on Nov. 23. 

Last November, the Bengals suffered a 35-34 "Thursday Night Football" loss to the Ravens four days after Cincinnati earned a Week 9 win over the Las Vegas Raiders.

"It just ended up as we got down the stretch here, that this was our best schedule, and fully acknowledging that, I'm sure the Bengals fans are a little surprised and probably a little disappointed," North continued. "Which puts them in the same category as all 31 other teams. Everybody is just a little disappointed in the schedule makers."

It's hardly a secret that players throughout the league don't love having to participate in a meaningful game on a short week, let alone one at a division opponent that could be a Super Bowl contender in late November. As of Monday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Ravens as -145 betting favorites to claim the AFC North division crown for the 2025 season. The Bengals were second on the list at +230 odds. 

"I'm sure Bengals fans would have preferred it in Cincinnati, but it should be fun for you guys to ruin Baltimore's Thanksgiving," North added. "One way to ensure a little extra mustard on those is to make them division games. And you see how big we went on Thanksgiving this year."

Florio is among those who think the afternoon Thanksgiving matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas Cowboys could "generate the biggest audience for any regular-season game in league history." Earlier that Thursday, the Detroit Lions will host the Green Bay Packers. 

As for Burrow, he'll have to wait until at least 2026 to see if the league will do him a solid and schedule a future Ravens-Bengals "TNF" game to be held at Cincinnati's Paycor Stadium.