The official 2015 NFL schedule release is coming soon. While no exact date has been set, it's expected to come out either this week or next.

In the meantime, Ben Volin has an interesting update on the status of the Patriots' season opener in New England. Previous rumors indicated the Eagles were favored to be the Patriots' opponent in the 2015 NFL Kickoff Game. According to Volin, that might not be the case. And Volin notes that he actually prefers an Eagles-Patriots opener in terms of intrigue:

"But the sense I get now from speaking with people around the NFL is that the suits at the NFL and NBC have another Pennsylvania team in mind.



The NFL’s kickoff game is, most importantly, about having a quality game. And only one team on the Patriots’ 2015 home schedule can pretty much promise an entertaining game on Thursday, Sept. 10:



The Pittsburgh Steelers.



We’ll know the opponent in the next 10 days or so; the NFL should announce its schedule between April 21-23. The Patriots’ eight home opponents this year will be: Jets, Dolphins, Bills, Steelers, Titans, Jaguars, Eagles, and Redskins."

Volin also notes that the every kickoff game since 2008 has been AFC vs. AFC or NFC. vs. NFC. So there's some evidence that would suggest the Steelers are favored.

This news might come as a disappointment for Eagles fans. 77% of voters said they wanted to see the Eagles play the Patriots in Week 1.

The Eagles schedule will be revealed soon. All of Philadelphia's 16 opponents for the 2015 season are already known. And so is the 2015 preseason schedule.