NFL Broncos: Week One
9/2/2025 3:01:00 PM | Football
BOISE, Idaho – The 2025 NFL season kicks off this weekend with 10 former Boise State players representing the Broncos. Scott Matlock and the Los Angeles Chargers kick off the season on Friday night. Sunday will feature rookie Ashton Jeanty (Las Vegas Raiders) making his NFL debut and Kellen Moore (New Orleans Saints) making his head coaching debut. Khalil Shakir and the Buffalo Bills will play in the Sunday night primetime slot. Information on this week's matchups can be found below. All times listed are Mountain.
FRIDAY
Los Angeles Chargers (Scott Matlock) vs. Kansas City Chiefs – YouTube, 6 p.m.
Scott Matlock returns to Los Angeles for his third season, playing fullback and defensive tackle for the Chargers. Last season, he played 362 offensive snaps, 137 defensive snaps and 231 special teams snaps, making him the only player in the league to eclipse 100 snaps in all three phases. The two-time All-Mountain West selection totaled 28 receiving yards, seven tackles and one sack, helping the Chargers improve by six wins and reach the playoffs.
SUNDAY
Las Vegas Raiders (Ashton Jeanty) at New England Patriots – CBS, 11 a.m.
Ashton Jeanty will make his NFL debut for the Las Vegas Raiders, who selected the Heisman Trophy runner-up with the sixth overall pick of the NFL Draft, making him the highest draft pick in Boise State history. The Maxwell Award and Doak Walker Award recipient totaled 2,601 rushing yards in his final season as a Bronco, the second-highest single-season total in FBS history. Jeanty will play for Pete Carroll, who boasts 27 years of head coaching experience at the NCAA and NFL level. He won two national championships at USC before leading the Seattle Seahawks to victory in Super Bowl XLVIII. Offensive coordinator Chip Kelly is also in his first season with Las Vegas, joining the Raiders after leading Ohio State to the national title in the same role. He spent 10 years as a head coach in the FBS and four at the helm of an NFL team.
New Orleans Saints (Kellen Moore) vs. Arizona Cardinals – CBS, 11 a.m.
Bronco legend Kellen Moore is the first Boise State player to become an NFL head coach. After an All-American playing career with the Broncos that included 50 wins, he spent six seasons in the NFL. After retiring, he joined the Dallas Cowboys as the quarterbacks coach and was promoted to offensive coordinator after one season. He was the Los Angeles Chargers' offensive coordinator in 2023 and served in the same role for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2024, leading the team to a win in Super Bowl LIX.
Washington Commanders (John Bates, Jeremy McNichols) vs. New York Giants – FOX, 11 a.m.
John Bates is entering his fifth season with Washington after helping the team to a 12-5 record in 2024, the franchise's best since 1991. He caught eight passes for 84 yards, putting his career totals at 61 receptions, 592 yards and two touchdowns. The two-time All-MW selection played a career-high 741 snaps last season, seeing 516 on offense and 225 on special teams. Jeremy McNichols has been in the NFL since 2017, playing for five teams. In his first season with the Commanders, he ran for a career-high 261 yards and four touchdowns on 55 attempts, helping the team reach the NFC Championship. He has 625 rushing yards and 322 receiving yards in his career, as well as 195 kick return yards. The two-time All-MW honoree has also played for the San Francisco 49ers (2017 and 2023), Indianapolis Colts (2018), Jacksonville Jaguars (2019) and Tennessee Titans (2020-21).
Jacksonville Jaguars (Ezra Cleveland) vs. Carolina Panthers – FOX, 11 a.m.
Ezra Cleveland returns for his second full season with the Jaguars and sixth year in the NFL. He played in 97 percent of Jacksonville's offensive snaps, starting 15 games at left guard. He notched a career-best 67.8 pass blocking grade from Pro Football Focus. The three-time All-MW selection spent his first three seasons with the Minnesota Vikings before being traded to Jacksonville during his fourth year. In 2021, he played all 1,141 offensive snaps for the Vikings. The following season, he led the team to a 13-4 record and NFC North title.
Denver Broncos (JL Skinner) vs. Tennessee Titans – FOX, 2:05 p.m.
JL Skinner is entering his third season with the Denver Broncos. Primarily contributing on special teams, he has nine tackles and a fumble recovery in 16-career games. The two-time All-MW pick ranked second on the team with 312 special teams snaps, helping the Broncos reach the playoffs for the first time since 2015.
Seattle Seahawks (George Holani, DeMarcus Lawrence) vs. San Francisco 49ers – FOX, 2:05 p.m.
DeMarcus Lawrence will make his Seattle debut after spending 11 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, who drafted him in 2014. With his 2025 debut, Lawrence will become the second-longest tenured Boise State product in NFL history, trailing Kimo von Oelhoffen, who played 14 seasons. In 141-career games, Lawrence has tallied 450 tackles, 97 TFLs, 61.5 sacks, 21 forced fumbles, eight fumble recoveries, two interceptions and 20 passes defended. He has scored touchdowns on a fumble recovery and an interception and is a four-time Pro Bowler. The All-American was a second team All-Pro in 2017, finishing fourth in Defensive Player of the Year voting. He joins fellow Boise State product George Holani, who is entering his sophomore campaign with the Seahawks. He saw action in five games as a rookie, carrying the ball three times for 10 yards and adding one reception. The two-time All-MW selection also saw time on special teams, playing 36 snaps and making one tackle.
Buffalo Bills (Khalil Shakir) vs. Baltimore Ravens – NBC, 6:20 p.m.
Khalil Shakir enters his fourth season in Buffalo after producing career-best numbers in 2024. He led the Bills with 76 receptions for 821 yards, scoring four touchdowns. He ranked second among NFL wide receivers with 704 yards after catch and 24 missed tackles forced. The three-time All-MW selection has 125 catches for 1,593 yards and seven touchdowns in his regular season career and 33 receptions for 340 yards and two touchdowns in his playoff career. The Bills have a 37-13 record during his career, winning the AFC East title all three years.
--BroncoSports.com--
FRIDAY
Los Angeles Chargers (Scott Matlock) vs. Kansas City Chiefs – YouTube, 6 p.m.
Scott Matlock returns to Los Angeles for his third season, playing fullback and defensive tackle for the Chargers. Last season, he played 362 offensive snaps, 137 defensive snaps and 231 special teams snaps, making him the only player in the league to eclipse 100 snaps in all three phases. The two-time All-Mountain West selection totaled 28 receiving yards, seven tackles and one sack, helping the Chargers improve by six wins and reach the playoffs.
SUNDAY
Las Vegas Raiders (Ashton Jeanty) at New England Patriots – CBS, 11 a.m.
Ashton Jeanty will make his NFL debut for the Las Vegas Raiders, who selected the Heisman Trophy runner-up with the sixth overall pick of the NFL Draft, making him the highest draft pick in Boise State history. The Maxwell Award and Doak Walker Award recipient totaled 2,601 rushing yards in his final season as a Bronco, the second-highest single-season total in FBS history. Jeanty will play for Pete Carroll, who boasts 27 years of head coaching experience at the NCAA and NFL level. He won two national championships at USC before leading the Seattle Seahawks to victory in Super Bowl XLVIII. Offensive coordinator Chip Kelly is also in his first season with Las Vegas, joining the Raiders after leading Ohio State to the national title in the same role. He spent 10 years as a head coach in the FBS and four at the helm of an NFL team.
New Orleans Saints (Kellen Moore) vs. Arizona Cardinals – CBS, 11 a.m.
Bronco legend Kellen Moore is the first Boise State player to become an NFL head coach. After an All-American playing career with the Broncos that included 50 wins, he spent six seasons in the NFL. After retiring, he joined the Dallas Cowboys as the quarterbacks coach and was promoted to offensive coordinator after one season. He was the Los Angeles Chargers' offensive coordinator in 2023 and served in the same role for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2024, leading the team to a win in Super Bowl LIX.
Washington Commanders (John Bates, Jeremy McNichols) vs. New York Giants – FOX, 11 a.m.
John Bates is entering his fifth season with Washington after helping the team to a 12-5 record in 2024, the franchise's best since 1991. He caught eight passes for 84 yards, putting his career totals at 61 receptions, 592 yards and two touchdowns. The two-time All-MW selection played a career-high 741 snaps last season, seeing 516 on offense and 225 on special teams. Jeremy McNichols has been in the NFL since 2017, playing for five teams. In his first season with the Commanders, he ran for a career-high 261 yards and four touchdowns on 55 attempts, helping the team reach the NFC Championship. He has 625 rushing yards and 322 receiving yards in his career, as well as 195 kick return yards. The two-time All-MW honoree has also played for the San Francisco 49ers (2017 and 2023), Indianapolis Colts (2018), Jacksonville Jaguars (2019) and Tennessee Titans (2020-21).
Jacksonville Jaguars (Ezra Cleveland) vs. Carolina Panthers – FOX, 11 a.m.
Ezra Cleveland returns for his second full season with the Jaguars and sixth year in the NFL. He played in 97 percent of Jacksonville's offensive snaps, starting 15 games at left guard. He notched a career-best 67.8 pass blocking grade from Pro Football Focus. The three-time All-MW selection spent his first three seasons with the Minnesota Vikings before being traded to Jacksonville during his fourth year. In 2021, he played all 1,141 offensive snaps for the Vikings. The following season, he led the team to a 13-4 record and NFC North title.
Denver Broncos (JL Skinner) vs. Tennessee Titans – FOX, 2:05 p.m.
JL Skinner is entering his third season with the Denver Broncos. Primarily contributing on special teams, he has nine tackles and a fumble recovery in 16-career games. The two-time All-MW pick ranked second on the team with 312 special teams snaps, helping the Broncos reach the playoffs for the first time since 2015.
Seattle Seahawks (George Holani, DeMarcus Lawrence) vs. San Francisco 49ers – FOX, 2:05 p.m.
DeMarcus Lawrence will make his Seattle debut after spending 11 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, who drafted him in 2014. With his 2025 debut, Lawrence will become the second-longest tenured Boise State product in NFL history, trailing Kimo von Oelhoffen, who played 14 seasons. In 141-career games, Lawrence has tallied 450 tackles, 97 TFLs, 61.5 sacks, 21 forced fumbles, eight fumble recoveries, two interceptions and 20 passes defended. He has scored touchdowns on a fumble recovery and an interception and is a four-time Pro Bowler. The All-American was a second team All-Pro in 2017, finishing fourth in Defensive Player of the Year voting. He joins fellow Boise State product George Holani, who is entering his sophomore campaign with the Seahawks. He saw action in five games as a rookie, carrying the ball three times for 10 yards and adding one reception. The two-time All-MW selection also saw time on special teams, playing 36 snaps and making one tackle.
Buffalo Bills (Khalil Shakir) vs. Baltimore Ravens – NBC, 6:20 p.m.
Khalil Shakir enters his fourth season in Buffalo after producing career-best numbers in 2024. He led the Bills with 76 receptions for 821 yards, scoring four touchdowns. He ranked second among NFL wide receivers with 704 yards after catch and 24 missed tackles forced. The three-time All-MW selection has 125 catches for 1,593 yards and seven touchdowns in his regular season career and 33 receptions for 340 yards and two touchdowns in his playoff career. The Bills have a 37-13 record during his career, winning the AFC East title all three years.
--BroncoSports.com--
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