After the 2025 NFL regular season schedule was released, Cincinnati Bengals fans weren't thrilled to see the team scheduled to play in Baltimore for a primetime game for the fourth straight year. Joe Burrow wasn't shy about vocalizing his frustrations with this scheduling gaffe, noting that playing in Baltimore in primetime for four years running "isn't ideal".
Well, the NFL heard Burrow's remarks and have responded. Mike North, the NFL VP of broadcast planning & scheduling, heard Burrow loud and clear and wishes he could have a mulligan when it comes to the Bengals/Ravens primetime scheduling. Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com wrote that North is aware the fans are upset about this.
"If North could have one game back to re-schedule, he would 'wave a magic wand," over that third straight short week Thursday night game in Baltimore on Nov. 27. He gets it. He knows the fans and the team aren't happy, just like they're livid in Los Angeles because the Rams always seem to travel to San Francisco to play their division rivals in a primetime game."
North was quoted as saying, "When trends like that emerge, we probably have to adjust at some point." Hopefully this means that when the Bengals and Ravens meet in primetime in 2026, which feels like a certainty at this point, that the game will be held at Paycor Stadium and not in Baltimore for the fifth straight year.
NFL gives surprising answer after Joe Burrow fumes over primetime pattern
The Bengals started their streak of playing in Baltimore in primetime in 2022 and lost to the Ravens on Sunday Night Football that season. The next two years saw the teams meet on Thursday Night Football, both times occurring in Baltimore. Playing on the road in primetime is a big enough disadvantage but you can crank that up even more for Thursday night games since it's a road game on a short week.
The good news here is that the league is aware of it and regrets making Cincinnati play on the road against a division rival for the fourth straight year. It's annoying that it took Burrow making a comment about it to spark a change but at least North's response implies a change is on the horizon.
Let's hope Burrow's complaints make a real change and the Bengals get to host a primetime match-up against the Ravens in 2026. It might be too late to save this year's schedule but next year's can hopefully be salvaged.