NFL VP Acknowledges Bengals’ Fair Yet Grueling Primetime Schedule Pattern

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow expressed frustration with the 2025 NFL schedule, primarily due to the Bengals playing a primetime road game against the Baltimore Ravens in Baltimore for the fourth consecutive year, including a Thanksgiving night game. Burrow also lamented the lack of an international game opportunity for the Bengals, which he felt was a missed chance to grow the sport globally, especially given his involvement in a Netflix docuseries aimed at promoting football. NFL Vice President of Broadcast Planning and Scheduling Mike North acknowledged Burrow's complaints as fair, noting that recurring scheduling patterns like multiple consecutive primetime road games are issues the league aims to address but cannot fix immediately. North explained that the Bengals-Ravens rivalry is a marquee matchup deserving primetime exposure, but admitted he would change the consecutive short-week Thursday road games if possible. Despite the scheduling quirks, North emphasized that Cincinnati's presence in prominent broadcast windows reflects their merit as a competitive team with an MVP-caliber quarterback. Fans might be disappointed by the travel and timing, but these high-profile games could also boost franchise visibility and ratings.