The Philadelphia Eagles are defending Super Bowl champions and that means they have a target on their back. Teams across the NFL will be looking to take their best shot at Philadelphia next season and it has their potential regular season opponents champing at the bit.
The Dallas Cowboys will be the first in line as they’ll visit the Eagles in Week 1. But that led to some disappointment to the other teams on their schedule. In the case of one potential threat, their obsession has started to get weird and could create a marquee matchup for Philadelphia when their schedule is released on Wednesday.
The Lions are Starting to get Weird About Facing Philadelphia Next Season
The Detroit Lions are listed as an opponent for the Eagles in 2025, but they can’t wait to get their hands on Philadelphia. The latest example came on Monday afternoon when second-year cornerback Terrion Arnold voiced his displeasure with not drawing the Eagles for the season opener on his X account.
“We all know the season opener everybody wanted to see,” Arnold said with a yawning emoji.
We all know the season opener everybody wanted to see🥱
— Terrion Arnold (@ArnoldTerrion) May 12, 2025
Arnold has a point. The Eagles and the Lions were neck-and-neck in the standings last season and Detroit earned homefield advantage with a 15-2 record. While both teams appeared to be on a collision course for the NFC Championship Game, the Lions didn’t hold up their end of the bargain, falling to the Washington Commanders in the divisional round of the playoffs.
With both teams poised to be contenders again, it would have been a solid matchup to open the 2025 season. But the game will draw ratings no matter where it is on the schedule and could be saved when the league is putting forth a weaker slate of games.
Still, the Lions are obsessed with getting Philadelphia as soon as possible. Amon-Ra St. Brown jumped on his podcast shortly after the Super Bowl and pleaded his case to be the Eagles’ Week 1 opponent. He made his pitch again during an appearance on Kevin Hart’s “Cold As Balls” video segment last month, telling the comedian and Eagles fan, “Hopefully, we get you guys Week 1.”
It makes sense that the Lions would want a piece of the Eagles after 13 defenders ended the season on injured reserve. But every team goes through injuries. If the Lions had done their part against a Commanders team that got blown out by 32 points in the NFC Championship Game, they would have had their chance to put their theory to the test.
It’s also unlikely a Week 1 win would have made Detroit feel any better about choking away one of the best seasons in franchise history. But a new season has everyone feeling optimistic.
Either way, the Lions will get their shot at the Eagles next year. Unfortunately, they’ll have to wait.