By Blessing 
Amon-Ra St. Brown Wants the Eagles in the 2025 Season Opener
After the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX, discussions quickly turned to who their opponent might be for the highly anticipated Thursday night season opener in 2025. While several teams could be in the mix, the Detroit Lions stand out as a compelling choice for multiple reasons.
One major factor fueling this conversation is how the Eagles’ dominant defensive performance against the Chiefs left many Lions fans wondering: “What if?”
The Lions’ Defense Faced Major Challenges in 2024
Detroit’s defense battled injuries throughout the season, forcing significant lineup changes. By Week 14 against the Green Bay Packers, over 42 percent of the defensive snaps were taken by players who weren’t even on the roster in Week 1. More than a quarter of the snaps were played by guys who joined the team just two months earlier, and an astonishing 12.5 percent were played by those who had arrived only a week prior.
Despite these challenges, now-former defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn did an impressive job, further solidifying his credentials for future head coaching opportunities.
St. Brown Calls for a Lions-Eagles Showdown
During a recent episode of the “St. Brown Podcast,” Amon-Ra St. Brown, along with his brothers Equanimeous and Osiris, discussed the idea of the Lions facing the Eagles in the 2025 season opener.
“Eagles have the home opener next year,” St. Brown pointed out. His brother Equanimeous quickly responded, “You don’t want that smoke.” However, Amon-Ra continued, listing the possible opponents the Eagles could face: the Commanders, Cowboys, Giants, Bears, Lions, Raiders, Rams, and Broncos.
“Out of all those teams, if you’re the NFL, who you putting in there?” he asked. Both Equanimeous and Osiris agreed that the Lions would be a top choice, with Osiris also considering the Commanders.
St. Brown emphasized how having a fully healthy defense would make a huge difference for Detroit, recalling the injuries that piled up throughout the season. He listed key players who went down, from Marcus Davenport and Derrick Barnes in Week 3 to Amik Robertson in the Divisional Round. At one point, he even momentarily forgot about defensive tackle Alim McNeill, highlighting just how extensive the injury list was.
Will the NFL Schedule the Lions for the Opener?
One possible obstacle is the fact that the Lions already played in the 2023 season opener against the Chiefs. However, aside from that, a rematch between Detroit and Philadelphia makes perfect sense. Given the Lions’ rise as a contender and St. Brown’s enthusiasm for the matchup, this game would be a thrilling way to kick off the 2025 NFL season.