NEW ORLEANS, LA – FEBRUARY 09: Jalen Hurts #1 of the Philadelphia Eagles celebrates after defeating the Kansas City Chiefs during Super Bowl LIX at Caesars Superdome on February 9, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
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The 2025 NFL regular season begins Thursday night as the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles host the Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field.
The Eagles, which beat the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22 in Super Bowl LIX, are once again led by quarterback Jalen Hurts and running back Saquon Barkley, who quickly helped turn the Eagles’ fortunes around after signing with the franchise in March 2024.
Barkley, who earned AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year honors a year ago, rushed for 2,005 yards last season, making him the ninth player in NFL history to reach the historic milestone. Meanwhile, Cowboys quarterback, Dak Prescott, who is among the top five highest-paid athletes in the world, enters his 10th season with the franchise after sustaining a season-ending hamstring injury in 2024.
Thursday’s game will air on NBC, with kickoff set for 8:20 p.m. ET. It will also be live streamed on Peacock, which will exclusively broadcast an NFL regular season game during Week 17. The media network, which broadcasts Sunday Night Football, currently has media rights to show NFL games through the 2033 season.
Play by play caller Mike Tirico will be joined alongside by analyst Cris Collinsworth, sideline reporter Melissa Stark and rules analyst Terry McAulay. This will be the Sunday Night Football group’s fourth season together.
The Cowboys, which according to Forbes became the first NFL franchise to secure a $10 billion valuation a year ago, finished the 2024 season with a 7-10 mark and failed to qualify for the postseason. They’ve won just four playoff games since 2000. In January, the franchise named offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer as the team’s new head coach.
Conversely, the Eagles — which carry a $6.6 billion valuation per Forbes — have claimed the NFC East title in four of the past eight seasons and also won Super Bowl LII when they defeated the New England Patriots 41-33.
Ahead of the Eagles vs. Cowboys season opener, the Baltimore Ravens are currently favorites (+700) to win Super Bowl LX. They’re followed by the Buffalo Bills and and Eagles at +750 each, according to official betting odds at the FanDuel Sportsbook. The Cowboys currently sit at +6000.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/markjburns/2025/09/02/nfl-season-starts-thursday-with-eagles-vs-cowboys-heres-how-to-watch/