Before the Super Bowl, we published an article predicting that if the Philadelphia Eagles won, they would host the Detroit Lions in the 2025 NFL season opener at Lincoln Financial Field on Thursday Night Football. Now that the Eagles have secured the championship, they will indeed play in the first game of the new season. However, one NFL insider does not expect the Lions to be their opponent.

Are the Lions Being Overlooked?

According to NFL insider Adam Schefter, the Eagles won’t face the Lions but will instead take on a different NFC North team—the Chicago Bears.

“I can see it happening. Ben Johnson’s first game in Philadelphia,” Schefter told the Detroit Free Press. “The Bears trying to bounce back. It’s not a huge matchup you’d use early when you’ll get the ratings regardless, like with the Lions or Rams. But it’s still an intriguing game that would get people excited.

“My current guess is Bears at Eagles in the opener. That’s my prediction.”

The Bears recently hired former Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson as their head coach, hoping he can develop second-year quarterback Caleb Williams.

What This Means for the Lions

If the Lions don’t face the Eagles in the season opener, as Amon-Ra St. Brown hopes, they will likely meet in primetime later in the 2025 season. Given their strong performances in 2024, a marquee matchup between these two teams seems inevitable. Whether it happens later in the season or in an early high-stakes battle, the NFL enjoys showcasing top teams, and a Lions vs. Eagles showdown with playoff implications would be must-watch football.

“I could also see the league saving that game for a major primetime slot when they need a ratings boost,” Schefter said on The Adam Schefter Podcast.

Final Thoughts

Adam Schefter may be a well-respected insider, but I believe he’s wrong about the Bears replacing the Lions in the season opener. The Eagles are Super Bowl champions, but fans are eager to see what a fully healthy Lions squad could do against them. My prediction remains the same—the Detroit Lions will travel to Philadelphia to face the Eagles in the first Thursday game of the 2025 season.