With the 2024 NFL draft complete, one of the few remaining points of speculation before the summer break is the schedule release.
But fans shouldn’t even have to wait that long until learning the matchup for the opener.
The Kansas City Chiefs are set to kick off their quest for an unprecedented third consecutive Super Bowl as the expected host of the opener.
Here are the eight possible matchups for the Chiefs in the opener, ranked from least appealing to most appealing: 8.
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Las Vegas Raiders Last season’s stunning loss to Las Vegas on Christmas served as the nadir of the Chiefs’ season – and perhaps the turning point in the Super Bowl trajectory.
Still, for as healthy as the revenge element is, a quarterback matchup of Mahomes vs. Gardner Minshew or Aidan O’Connell is a non-starter for this stage.
Los Angeles Chargers Jim Harbaugh wrapped up last season in college football by sealing Michigan’s national title and perfect season.
Now that the NFL draft for 2024 is over, the schedule release is one of the few unanswered questions before the summer vacation.
The full schedule of regular-season games has not yet been announced, although the league has historically launched its season during the second week of May. The opening game’s opponent shouldn’t even have to be revealed to fans after that long.
The Kansas City Chiefs are scheduled to serve as the game’s host as they begin their historic run at winning three straight Super Bowls. Which eight teams, though, are the most prepared to face Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce in Week 1 at Arrowhead Stadium the following season?
Here are the eight possible matchups for the Chiefs in the opener, ranked from least appealing to most appealing:.
8. Broncos in Denver.
The 16-game winning streak that Kansas City had over its AFC West rival is over, but the gap between the two teams may be wider than it has ever been. Denver lacks elite players aside from Patrick Surtain II, so it could be disastrous to start rookie quarterback Bo Nix in his NFL debut at Arrowhead against Steve Spagnuolo’s relentless blitzes. The Broncos cannot rely on the five turnovers by the Chiefs that were a major factor in last season’s upset, so even with the familiarity factor, this is the game that has the most potential to get out of control early.
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6. Raiders of Las Vegas.
The Chiefs’ season came to an end with their devastating Christmas loss to Las Vegas, which may have also marked a turning point in the team’s path to the Super Bowl. As beneficial as the element of retaliation is, a quarterback matchup between Mahomes vs. At this point, neither Gardner Minshew nor Aidan O’Connell should be considered.
6. Saints of New Orleans.
You don’t need to think about this prospect too much because there’s not much chance this team that’s always in the middle of the pack wins. A thrilling rematch or changing dynamics can be highlighted in the first scene. Both of these factors are at play here, as the two teams have only played three times since 2012 and New Orleans is unwilling to make any big roster changes given that they haven’t made it to the postseason in the previous three years.
5. The Bucs of Tampa Bay.
Super Bowl 55 rematch lacks intrigue because Tom Brady is no longer with us. The three-time defending NFC South champions are returning their core after re-signing Mike Evans and Baker Mayfield this offseason, so this isn’t a bad pure football matchup. However, from a national standpoint, there aren’t many selling points.
4. Chargers of Los Angeles.
In college football, Jim Harbaugh completed the previous season by securing Michigan’s national championship and flawless campaign. Will he begin a new NFL campaign with his eagerly anticipated comeback? Fans will undoubtedly want to tune in early to watch the former San Francisco 49ers coach perform in his first game action in nearly ten years. The issue, though, is that there isn’t a better yardstick than the two-time defending champions. Although Justin Herbert adds a little pizazz to this matchup, it’s difficult to see how a run-oriented team that has suffered a lot this offseason could hold up, particularly if the Bolts get behind early. Perhaps a real “Thursday Night Football” game a few weeks from now would be more appropriate for this.
3. Texans from Houston.
We are now in the lands of the real contenders. While Houston was one of four teams without a prime-time game the previous season, the Texans selection would resemble that of the Detroit Lions in certain ways. Houston is a rapidly rising franchise that was not previously a fixture of big-time matchups. C. D. J. Stroud is perhaps the only quarterback under 25 who is capable of competing head-to-head with Mahomes, and he stands out as one of the few big hits the league has seen at quarterback in recent years. Whatever happens, Stefon Diggs’ Houston debut will probably be one of the more interesting Week 1 plots. Houston’s roster is radically different from the one Kansas City destroyed in Andy Reid’s first title defense, but perhaps the league looks elsewhere while still finding a promising slot for this matchup later on. But would the NFL open with these two teams after it did so four years ago?
2. Bengals of Cincinnati.
The entertainment value of last year’s installment of what has grown to be the league’s best rivalry was completely destroyed by Joe Burrow’s wrist injury that ended the season. It would make sense to move this game up to the top of the schedule because it could be among the biggest of the season and would increase public curiosity in how the Bengals’ star quarterback performs when he returns. Surviving three games against the Chiefs, Burrow stated last month that the Bengals “were built to beat” them on the Kelce brothers’ “New Heights” podcast. This coming season will help establish whether Cincinnati can regain its position as Kansas City’s main AFC rival in addition to proving whether or not that assertion is accurate. Though it could be enjoyable to witness these two teams playing at full capacity, there is merit in matching these teams after they have had some time to settle into their roles.
1. Baltimore Rowers.
