With parts of the NFL schedule being released ahead of the actual unveil of the entire regular season schedule on Wednesday, educated guesses can begind to be made about certain primetime matchups.
For example, we know that the Chicago Bears will be hosting the Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field on December 20 as part of Week 16 of the regular season. With the Bears being one of four teams playing on Saturday, chances are it will be those same four teams taking part in the NFL's games on Christmas day in Week 17.
Last season, the Houston Texans played the Kansas City Chiefs and the Pittsburgh Steelers played the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday, December 21. On Christmas, the Texans played the Ravens while the Steelers played the Chiefs.
The other game being played on December 20 during Week 16 of the 2025 NFL season is the Philadelphia Eagles against the Washington Commanders. Assuming the NFL is going to follow a similar blueprint this season, the safe assumption would be that the Christmas day games this season will feature the Eagles, Packers, Commanders, and Bears.
The Packers and Eagles make sense for a Christmas Day game as it is a rematch from the playoffs last season. Of course, the Bears playing the Commanders would be a marquee game, considering it is a rematch of the Jayden Daniels Hail Mary game last season.
One of the Bears' most anticipated 2025 games might be on Christmas day
The NFL all but confirmed last week that the Bears and Commanders will be a primetime game in 2025. The game was listed among the NFL's top 10 games of the 2025 season. The reasoning is logical, as the 2024 game between the two teams dramatically shifted their respective seasons. The Commanders went on to secure an NFC Wild Card spot, while that loss ignited a double-digit losing streak for the Bears.
Of course, Christmas does fall on a Thursday this season. It's entirely possible that the NFL, given that teams are used to the quick turnaround between Sunday and Thursday, elects different teams than the four playing on Saturday in Week 16.