Alas, a respite!
The 2025 NFL season has been marked by its frenzied nature. From dazzling displays to shocking injuries, this year's slate of games has been nothing if not captivating.
But rest is essential, too. Bye weeks aren’t always ideal, but they’re necessary to break up the monotony of an ever-churning NFL carousel. They also provide teams with a chance to find calm — both for the mind and the body.
Four sides will spend Week 5 on the couch. Here’s what you need to know.
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NFL teams on a bye this week
Four sides are slated to watch from the sidelines during Week 5 — the Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, Atlanta Falcons and Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Bears nabbed a comeback win in their Week 4 duel with the Las Vegas Raiders. They’re 2-2 through four games, sitting at the bottom of the NFC North in points scored but just one game behind the division-leading Detroit Lions.
Joining Chicago on a bye is divisional counterpart Green Bay. The Packers (2-1-1) took part in the second-highest-scoring draw in league history against the Dallas Cowboys. They’ll return to the field against the Cincinnati Bengals next Sunday.
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The Falcons (2-2) scored a momentous win against the Washington Commanders in Week 4 and sit just one game out of first place in the NFC South ahead of a Week 6 joust with the 4-0 Buffalo Bills.
Meanwhile, the Steelers are cruising at the top of the AFC North, winning three of its first four fixtures. They notched a victory over the Minnesota Vikings in Dublin in Week 4 and will take on the Cleveland Browns in their next matchup in Week 6.
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NFL bye weeks schedule 2025
Bye weeks began in Week 5 and will run through Week 14. No bye weeks will be held in Week 13, meaning all 32 teams will be in action for Thanksgiving weekend.
Here's a look at the configuration of bye week games from Weeks 5-14.
Week 5
- Chicago Bears
- Green Bay Packers
- Atlanta Falcons
- Pittsburgh Steelers
Week 6
- Minnesota Vikings
- Houston Texans
Week 7
- Buffalo Bills
- Baltimore Ravens
Week 8
- Detroit Lions
- Arizona Cardinals
- Los Angeles Rams
- Seattle Seahawks
- Jacksonville Jaguars
- Las Vegas Raiders
Week 9
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- New York Jets
- Cleveland Browns
Week 10
- Dallas Cowboys
- Cincinnati Bengals
- Tennessee Titans
- Kansas City Chiefs
Week 11
- New Orleans Saints
- Indianapolis Colts
Week 12
- Washington Commanders
- Miami Dolphins
- Denver Broncos
- Los Angeles Chargers
Week 13
- None
Week 14
- New York Giants
- Carolina Panthers
- San Francisco 49ers
- New England Patriots