Honestly, the NFL schedule is a bit of a beast to track these days. It used to be simple—you had your Sunday games, maybe a Monday night blowout, and that was it. But now? We’ve got games on Fridays, Saturdays, and even Christmas Day. If you’re trying to figure out what teams play on thursday night football, you basically have to look at two different worlds: the "official" Amazon Prime package and the special holiday broadcasts that the league likes to sprinkle in.
For the 2025-2026 season, the lineup has been pretty intense. The league has leaned heavily into divisional rivalries to keep people from just scrolling through TikTok instead of watching the game. We're talking about massive matchups like the Cowboys and Eagles or the 49ers and Rams.
It’s not just about the teams, though. It’s about how you actually find them. Since 2022, Amazon Prime Video has been the home for the bulk of these games. But there’s a catch. The very first game of the season—the "Kickoff" game—usually happens on a Thursday, yet it technically isn't part of the Thursday Night Football brand. That one typically stays on NBC. Confusing? Totally.
The 2025 Thursday Night Football Matchups
If you missed the memo, the 2025 schedule was packed with some heavy hitters. The league doesn't just throw random teams on Thursday anymore. They want the ratings. They want the drama. Here is how the primary slate looked for the season:
The regular Prime Video season kicked off in Week 2 on September 11, featuring the Washington Commanders heading to Lambeau Field to take on the Green Bay Packers. It was a bold start. Then things moved fast. By Week 3, we saw the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills reignite their AFC East feud.
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Divisional games are the bread and butter here. In Week 4, the Seattle Seahawks faced the Arizona Cardinals. In Week 5, it was a classic NFC West showdown with the San Francisco 49ers taking on the Los Angeles Rams.
Here’s a look at the mid-to-late season grind:
- Week 6: Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants
- Week 7: Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals
- Week 8: Minnesota Vikings at Los Angeles Chargers
- Week 9: Baltimore Ravens at Miami Dolphins
- Week 10: Las Vegas Raiders at Denver Broncos
- Week 11: New York Jets at New England Patriots
By the time November rolled around, the games shifted toward playoff implications. In Week 12, the Buffalo Bills traveled to play the Houston Texans—a game that everyone had circled because of the potential AFC seeding drama.
The Holiday "Thursday" Glitch
Now, this is where it gets weird. In Week 13, because of Thanksgiving, the NFL does things differently. Technically, the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals played on Thursday night for Thanksgiving, but that was an NBC production. The "official" Amazon TNF game actually moved to Black Friday, featuring the Chicago Bears at the Philadelphia Eagles.
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Then we had the Christmas Day madness. In 2025, Christmas fell on a Thursday. While Netflix has started grabbing some of those holiday slots, Amazon still held onto a massive nightcap: the Denver Broncos at the Kansas City Chiefs.
Why the NFL Picked These Specific Teams
You might wonder why some teams seem to be on every other week while others are nowhere to be found. It’s a mix of "market size" and "projected success." The NFL schedule makers—folks like Howard Katz and Charlotte Carey—use thousands of cloud-based computers to run simulations. They have to balance travel, player safety, and what the networks (like Amazon) are paying for.
Amazon pays roughly $1 billion a year. For that kind of money, they don't want a 2-10 team playing a 3-9 team in December. This brings us to a controversial topic: Flex Scheduling.
The 21-Day Flex Rule
Starting in 2025, the NFL owners actually made it easier to swap out bad games. Previously, they had to give 28 days' notice to move a game to Thursday night. Now? They only need 21 days. This is great for fans at home who want a better game, but it's a nightmare for fans who bought plane tickets to see their team play on a Sunday, only to have the game moved to Thursday night.
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The league can flex up to two games per season into the Thursday slot between Weeks 13 and 17. Teams like the Giants, Jets, Packers, and Steelers have historically voted against this because it’s tough on the fans, but the "money talks" side of the league eventually won out.
Where to Watch and What to Expect
If you're hunting for these games, you basically need an Amazon Prime subscription. If you’re in the local markets of the teams playing—say, you live in Philly and the Eagles are playing—you can usually catch it on a local broadcast station. But for everyone else, it’s streaming only.
The broadcast team has stayed consistent with the legendary Al Michaels and Kirk Herbstreit. Even though Al has taken some heat for sounding a bit "checked out" during some of the lower-scoring games, he’s still the voice of big-time football for many.
How Teams Prepare for the Short Week
Playing on Thursday is a love-hate relationship for players. They hate the "short week." If you play a grueling game on Sunday afternoon, you only have three days to recover before hitting the field again.
Most teams don't even "practice" in the traditional sense for a Thursday game. It’s mostly "walk-throughs." They spend more time in the film room and the cold tub than they do on the actual practice field. The upside? If you win, you get a "mini-bye" week—ten days off before the next game. Coaches love that extra time to heal up for the December stretch.
Actionable Tips for TNF Fans
- Check the Flex: If you have tickets for a Sunday game in December, keep a close eye on the news starting 21 days out. You don't want to show up to an empty stadium on Sunday because the game happened three days earlier.
- Update Your App: Since Prime Video is the exclusive home, make sure your smart TV or streaming stick is updated. There’s nothing worse than the "loading" wheel when a team is on the one-yard line.
- Local Broadcasts: If you don't have Prime, check your local listings if your hometown team is the one playing. You might be able to catch it on a standard channel for free.
- Prepare for Weird Scores: Short weeks often lead to "ugly" football. Defensive players are tired, and offensive timing is sometimes off. Expect the unexpected—or at least a lot of field goals.
The 2025 season showed that the NFL is fully committed to making Thursday a destination, even if it means shuffling the deck late in the year to ensure the best teams are on the screen. Whether it's the Cowboys or the Lions or a surprise contender, Thursday night has become the unofficial start to the football weekend.