The champion of the NFL’s 105th season will kick off the league’s 106th season with a Thursday night rivalry game.

The Philadelphia Eagles will square off against the Dallas Cowboys to open the NFL’s 2025 campaign, the league announced on Monday. The NFC East rivals will meet at 7:20 p.m. CDT Sept. 4 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.

Philadelphia won the NFL title for the 2024 season by defeating the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22 in Super Bowl LIX on Feb. 9. Former Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts won the Pete Rozelle Trophy as the game’s most valuable player.

The Eagles have eight former Crimson Tide players on their offseason roster, and both teams drafted Alabama players in the first round on April 24. The Cowboys selected guard Tyler Booker with the 12th choice, and the Eagles picked linebacker Jihaad Campbell with the 31st choice. The players from Alabama high schools and colleges on the rosters of the two teams include:

Philadelphia Eagles

• Reed Blankenship, safety, West Limestone
• Jihaad Campbell, linebacker, Alabama
• Landon Dickerson, guard, Alabama
• Bryce Huff, defensive end, St. Paul’s Episcopal
• Jalen Hurts, quarterback, Alabama
• Cameron Latu, tight end, Alabama
• Mac McWilliams, cornerback, UAB
• Eli Ricks, cornerback, Alabama
• DeVonta Smith, wide receiver, Alabama
• Tyler Steen, guard, Alabama
• Byron Young, defensive tackle, Alabama

Dallas Cowboys

• Tyler Booker, guard, Alabama
• Trevon Diggs, cornerback, Alabama
• Rivaldo Fairweather, tight end, Auburn
• Shemar James, linebacker, Faith Academy
• George Pickens, wide receiver, Hoover
• Justin Rogers, defensive tackle, Auburn
• Jalen Tolbert, wide receiver, McGill-Toolen, South Alabama
• Sam Williams, defensive end, Lee-Montgomery

The NFL picked the Cowboys from eight choices for a season-opener in Philadelphia. Also in play were the Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Rams, New York Giants and Washington Commanders.

The Eagles defeated the Commanders 55-23 in the NFC Championship Game and downed the Rams 28-22 the previous on their way to the Super Bowl.

The NFL has opened its season with a Thursday night game annually since 2002.

The first of the NFL’s 272 regular-season games will be televised by NBC and streamed by Peacock.

The NFL will unveil the full schedule for the 2025 season at 7 p.m. Wednesday on NFL Network.

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.