The NFL schedule is officially out and that means a full slate of Thursday Night Football games once again. Teams and players around the league haven’t exactly embraced playing on Thursdays but this has become part of the norm regardless of how much players hate the turnaround of playing on Sunday and then again just four days later.
For a long time, the Thursday Night Football schedule was seemingly an afterthought for the league, but they’ve got some really good matchups on the 2023 NFL schedule. Let’s take a look at every TNF matchup in 2023.
Every Thursday Night Football game on the 2023 NFL schedule
Week 1: No game (Chiefs vs. Lions is a Sunday Night Football production)
Week 2: Minnesota Vikings @ Philadelphia Eagles
Two NFC playoff teams from the 2022 season face off in the first TNF battle of the 2023 season, and this is a massive early test for a team like the Vikings. These two teams faced off early in the 2022 season as well and the Eagles handed the Vikings a pretty hefty loss.
Week 3: New York Giants @ San Francisco 49ers
Two weeks to open the season, and two matchups between NFC playoff teams a year ago for the Thursday Night Football crew. Will the San Francisco 49ers be quarterbacked by Brock Purdy at this point? Trey Lance? Sam Darnold? The Giants improved this offseason but are they a legitimate contender in the NFC or did they simply overachieve last year?
Week 4: Detroit Lions @ Green Bay Packers
The 2022 regular season finished with the Detroit Lions going into Green Bay and wrecking their playoff hopes in what would end up being Aaron Rodgers’ final game with the team. Can they go into Green Bay twice in a row and take down the Packers on their home field?
Week 5: Chicago Bears @ Washington Commanders
The Chicago Bears and Washington Commanders played a rather forgettable prime time game during the 2022 season but can Eric Bieniemy and Sam Howell spice things up for the Commanders this season? This Commanders team doesn’t pop up a ton in prime time this year, so they’re going to want to make this one against the Bears count.
Week 6: Denver Broncos @ Kansas City Chiefs
The last time the Denver Broncos beat the Kansas City Chiefs was on a Thursday night in Kansas City…
…in 2015.
Week 7: Jacksonville Jaguars @ New Orleans Saints
Trevor Lawrence heading to New Orleans to take on Derek Carr and the new-look Saints? This should be a really interesting early-season matchup. It’s safe to say both the Jaguars and Saints have pretty hefty expectations going into this season.
Week 8: Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Buffalo Bills
This one could be a bloodbath. Do the Bucs stand a chance against the Bills on the road? Tampa Bay is expected to be one of the worst teams in the league this season, but we’ll have to see about that…
Week 9: Tennessee Titans @ Pittsburgh Steelers
Midway through the season, don’t be surprised if both of these teams are 4-4. This won’t be the most riveting matchup but one of these two teams could end up making the playoffs this season after missing out in 2022.
Week 10: Carolina Panthers @ Chicago Bears
The Carolina Panthers and Chicago Bears came together for one of the biggest blockbuster trades of the 2023 offseason when the Bears sent the no. 1 overall pick to the Panthers. The Bears put all their eggs in the Justin Fields basket when they could have drafted Bryce Young themselves. It will be interesting to revisit that trade (which involved WR DJ Moore as well) at this point in the season.
Week 11: Cincinnati Bengals @ Baltimore Ravens
Lamar Jackson, one of the most recent NFL MVPs and now one of the highest-paid players in the entire NFL now, will be in prime time a handful of times this coming season. But not until the second half of the year. Maybe I’m the only one who really finds that to be odd.
Week 12 (Black Friday): Miami Dolphins @ New York Jets
This Thursday Night Football production will actually be the first NFL game played on Black Friday. Move over Iowa vs. Nebraska, it’s time for Aaron Rodgers and the Jets vs. Tyreek Hill and the Dolphins.
Week 13: Seattle Seahawks @ Dallas Cowboys
Another TNF matchup between two NFC playoff teams last season and featuring former Seahawks DC Dan Quinn against his old buddy Pete Carroll. This will likely be a huge late-season matchup for both of these teams with big playoff implications.
Week 14: New England Patriots @ Pittsburgh Steelers
Will either the Patriots or Steelers be playoff-relevant at this point in the season? This matchup features two of the most legendary coaches to do it in Bill Belichick and Mike Tomlin. You can bank on both of these teams being relevant, for sure.
Week 15: Los Angeles Chargers @ Las Vegas Raiders
Earlier in the year, the Thursday Night Football slate included a matchup between the Broncos and Chiefs. Now, they get the other half of the AFC West late in the season. This game could be really important for the Chargers but what about for the Raiders?
Week 16: New Orleans Saints @ Los Angeles Rams
It’s not the greatest year for the Los Angeles Rams being in prime time. This late-season matchup against the Saints is one of just two prime time matchups this team has all year. They better make them count.
Week 17: New York Jets @ Cleveland Browns
Any chance to get Aaron Rodgers in prime time, right? The Jets will play their sixth prime time game of the season against the Cleveland Browns in Wek 17. This will only be the second prime time game for the Browns all year. The world will get plenty of Aaron Rodgers in 2023, though.