We’re just over a week from the end of the NFL season, but fans are already looking ahead to the 2024 campaign, which will kick off on Thursday, September 5. The back-to-back defending champion Chiefs will begin the season at Arrowhead, and this is how the eight opponent options stack up.
8. New Orleans Saints
The Saints, a solid team that finds a way to be competitive as a veteran bunch, being at No. 8 indicates that there are plenty of strong possibilities the NFL can go with for their Kickoff Game. New Orleans will hopefully be healthy to begin the season after battling injuries last year, but overall they arguably aren’t a flashy enough option to face KC.
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Coming off not just a playoff berth but a playoff victory, the Bucs are the better choice of the two NFC clubs that could begin the 2024 season. Todd Bowles’ defense shut down Patrick Mahomes and company in Super Bowl LV, and it’d be fun to watch the two franchises battle again despite the teams looking much different than they did a few years ago.
6. Denver Broncos
The Broncos and Chiefs split their season series last year, and it’s a big offseason ahead for Sean Payton and company—particularly at quarterback. If Russell Wilson does indeed part ways with Denver, it would put a first-year starter for a new club (and potentially a rookie) in a tough spot facing that stingy Chiefs defense at GEHA Field, though.
5. Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders and Chiefs also split their 2023 matchups, with Vegas winning pretty emphatically on Christmas Day, helping interim head coach Antonio Pierce keep the job full-time. Like the Broncos, the Raiders have a question at quarterback that might be answered in the draft. They get the edge over Denver because Raiders-Chiefs has undoubtedly been more of a heated rivalry as of late.
4. Los Angeles Chargers
We know the Chargers do not have a quarterback question, and star gunslinger Justin Herbert will now be coached by the great Jim Harbaugh. It makes sense to instantly put LA in the 2024 Kickoff Game. While last year was disastrous for the Chargers, the AFC West foes had previously played in extremely entertaining matchups, including in primetime.
3. Houston Texans
The Texans were able to win their division in Year 1 under DeMeco Ryans, but this would have a similar feel to the surging Lions being placed in the 2023 Kickoff Game—which paid off with a thrilling upset victory by Detroit. Expectations will be high for C.J. Stroud and company this year, and they could immediately look to show they will be pushing Kansas City in the AFC.
2. Cincinnati Bengals
There might not be a better currently rivalry in the NFL than Chiefs-Bengals, and the two squads matching up on September 5 would be awesome. However, it just feels like this matchup will be reserved for after Thanksgiving, as it has been in each of the past three regular seasons.
1. Baltimore Ravens
A rematch of the AFC Championship Game does feel like it would be a better fit to begin 2024. The Ravens are currently seen by the oddsmakers as the biggest threat to the Chiefs in the AFC, and it doesn’t get much more entertaining than having Lamar Jackson on the other side taking on the defending champs. In terms of likelihood, it feels like it’ll be either Baltimore or Houston.