Previewing the 2023 Monday Night Football Schedule

The 2023 Monday Night Football schedule is better than ever. The action kicks off in Week 1 with Aaron Rodgers making his Jets debut at home against the Bills. There’s a Super Bowl rematch between the Eagles and Chiefs in Week 11, a Christmas Day MNF game and three doubleheaders on Monday night.

Loaded Monday Night Football Schedule in 2023

In total, there are 23 games on the 2023 Monday Night Football schedule. However, four of the games won’t be played on Monday nights and are just using the MNF branding. That includes the Falcons vs. Jaguars Week 4 game in London, the Lions vs. Cowboys in Week 17 and a doubleheader in Week 18.

Most of the games will be broadcasted on ESPN. A handful of Monday Night Football games will only be available on ABC or ESPN+ this season.

Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Lisa Salters and John Parry are back on ESPN for the second consecutive season. Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli is also back for a third season. The Manning brothers will cover ten MNF games this season, including Week 1.

Best Games on the 2023 Monday Night Football Schedule

The NFL has done a good job with the 2023 Monday Night Football schedule. There are some marquee match-ups, intriguing storylines and plenty of star power on the MNF slate.

All 14 teams in the NFL playoffs last season are featured at least once on the 2023 MNF schedule. The four teams that played in the Conference Championships all play twice on Monday night this season.

Here are the best MNF games in 2023 that’ll be must-watch TV for NFL fans:

Buffalo Bills vs. New York Jets

• When: Monday, September 11th 2023 at 8:15 PM ET (Week 1)

Whether you like him or hate him, everyone will be tuning in to watch Rodgers on primetime in Week 1 against the Bills. The premier 2023 Monday Night Football schedule tilt is must see TV. The Bills are small favorites (-1.5). Rodgers started 119 games at Lambeau with GB and was only an underdog in eight of those games. Rodgers is 6-1-1 ATS as a home dog, but the Bills went 5-0 in primetime games last season and the Jets have lost seven consecutive primetime games.

Los Angeles Rams vs. Cincinnati Bengals

• When: Monday, September 25th 2023 at 8:15 PM ET (Week 3)

The Rams defeated the Bengals (23-20) in the 2022 Super Bowl. After going 5-12 last season, the Rams are hoping QB Matthew Stafford and WR Cooper Kupp are healthy this season. Both teams open up the season with two divisional games before playing on MNF in Week 3. Stafford is 6-8 on MNF and winless (0-3) against the Bengals in his career. Burrow is 0-1 on MNF. Cincy are currently -7.5 favorites.

Dallas Cowboys vs. Los Angeles Chargers

• When: Monday, October 16th 2023 at 8:15 PM ET (Week 6)

Game totals have only been released for Week 1, but this game is projected to have the highest total on the 2023 Monday Night Football schedule. If you enjoy offense, you’ll want to tune in. This game features two star QBs (Dak Prescott and Justin Herbert). Herbert is 3-1 on MNF in his short career, while Prescott is 4-1 on MNF (124.3 QB Rating). The Chargers are currently small favorites (-1) at home.

Philadelphia Eagles vs. Kansas City Chiefs

• When: Monday, November 20th 2023 at 8:15 PM ET (Week 11)

The Chiefs defeated the Eagles (38-35) in last year’s Super Bowl after a 4th quarter comeback. This will be just the second time in NFL history that a Super Bowl rematch is on MNF under the bright lights (first time was in 1997).

The Chiefs ranked first in scoring (29.2 PPG) and the Eagles ranked second in scoring (29.1 PPG) last season. Mahomes is 7-1 and Hurts is 1-3 on MNF. KC are currently favored (-3) at home.

Baltimore Ravens vs. San Francisco 49ers

• When: Monday, December 25th 2023 at 8:15 PM ET (Week 16)

Two of last season’s top defenses meet on MNF on Christmas Day in 2023. San Francisco ranked first in points allowed (17.2 PPG) and the Ravens ranked third in points allowed (18.8 PPG) last season. SF are favored (-3), but with questions at QB, the Ravens at +3 is currently a gift. I’d wager a lot of money that the Ravens are favored by Christmas Day. Lamar Jackson is 4-2 on MNF (118.2 QBR).

These are my top five games on the 2023 Monday Night Football schedule, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of other intriguing games and storylines to keep us entertained this season.

Here are several more highlights from the 2023 MNF schedule:

• The Panthers host the Saints in Week 2 in what’ll be Bryce Young’s primetime debut.
• Two unexpected playoff participants from last season meet in Week 4 (Seahawks vs. Giants).
• Von Miller will play his old team for the first time when the Bills host the Broncos in Week 10.
• Two former #1 picks, Burrow (2020) and Trevor Lawrence (2021) meet in Week 13.
• A Week 18 doubleheader with teams TBA with potential playoff implications.

Flexible Scheduling Expands to Monday Night Football in 2023

The NFL implemented flexible scheduling back in 2006 for Sunday Night Football. Flexible scheduling will now be expanded to include Monday Night Football and Thursday Night Football.

So, how does this impact the MNF schedule this season? The NFL can change which games will be played on MNF between Week 12 and Week 17 at their discretion. Only NFL games scheduled for Sunday afternoon can be moved to the MNF slot. If a MNF game is going to be switched, the NFL will make the decision no later than 12 days before kick-off so away fans can adjust travel arrangements. 

Complete 2023 Monday Night Football Schedule

Here’s the complete 2023 MNF schedule (not all games will be played on Monday night):

2023 Monday Night Football Schedule FAQ