The NFL season began with standalone prime-time games Wednesday night in Seattle and Thursday night in Melbourne. But the season gets going in earnest Sunday with a full slate of 13 games, followed by the Monday night cap to Week 1 in Kansas City.
The NFL is the closest-watched sport in the country, as its mammoth viewership figures demonstrate. It finished the 2025 regular season with a per-game viewership average of 18.7 million, up 10% from the prior year, and the best such total since 1989. No other programming can consistently compete—and no league has bigger ambitions.
Quarterbacks and their contracts are in focus—and as always, the spotlight is on whether Jerry Jones can make this year his own. There’s lots more to watch for as this year’s NFL season opens.
Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson
The two quarterbacks have three league MVP awards between them—but zero Super Bowl appearances. They missed their chance to break through last season in a down season for the Chiefs. It’s not necessarily now-or-never time for Allen’s Bills or Jackson’s Ravens—at least not yet. But that’s creeping closer, especially with Jackson’s contract situation.
