Now that the NFL schedule is officially released, it's time for football fans to start taking Sundays (and Mondays, Thursdays, and some Fridays) off. Regular-season matchups are scheduled to be announced Wednesday night, and fanbases of all stripes are swirling with intrigue.
Will your favorite team face its toughest opponent at the beginning or end of the year? Will a series of road games pose a problem? What is a bye week?
All of that will be answered soon.
How to watch
when: Wednesday, May 15th, 8pm ET
where: Watch on NFL Network or stream on NFL.com, the NFL App, or NFL+
Are there any games announced yet?
yes. As of Wednesday morning, 10 games had been announced.
Baltimore Ravens vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Thursday, September 5th 8:20pm ET
The defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs open the season at Arrowhead Stadium, hosting the Ravens in a rematch of last year's AFC title game. Kansas City won 17-10 in that matchup, and current NFL MVP Lamar Jackson will be looking for revenge.
Philadelphia Eagles vs. Green Bay Packers in Sao Paulo, Brazil
Friday, September 6th, 8:15pm ET
The Eagles will have a lot to prove this season after getting off to a strong start last year but faltering down the stretch. Philadelphia started the 2023 season 10-1, but lost six of its last seven games, including a blowout 32-9 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the postseason opener.
Dallas Cowboys vs. Cleveland Browns
Sunday, September 8th, 4:25pm ET
It's no surprise that “Team America” will be in one of the featured matchups in Week 1. With a high-powered offense led by quarterback Dak Prescott and receiver CeeDee Lamb, and linebacker Micah Parsons, perhaps his best defensive player in the NFL, the Cowboys will once again compete for the NFC East crown. is expected.
The opening game against the Browns, an upstart team that won 11 games last season despite season-ending injuries to quarterback Deshaun Watson and running back Nick Chubb, won't be easy.
Oh, and this is the first time Tom Brady appears in the booth.
New York Jets vs. San Francisco 49ers
Monday, September 9th, 8:15pm ET
Jets fans, cover your eyes. New York opens the season again on Monday night. Hopefully, former NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers can play more than four snaps this time without getting injured, unlike last year. The Jets have an incredibly difficult task on the road against a 49ers team that features stars Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey and Nick Bosa, but something even crazier happened.
Buffalo Bills vs. Miami Dolphins
Thursday, September 12th 8:15pm ET
The two playoff teams from a year ago with powerful offenses will face off on Thursday after the first game. Bills quarterback Josh Allen, an MVP candidate who threw for 4,306 yards and 29 touchdowns last season, will be looking to get off to a strong start to the season against a middling Dolphins defense. However, that same Dolphins team led the league in both yards per game and total touchdowns. Can Buffalo's defense contain Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle and Raheem Mostert?
Cincinnati Bengals vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Sunday, September 15th, 4:25pm ET
The Chiefs are off to a very difficult start to the season with the Ravens and Bengals both Super Bowl contenders. Week 2 against the Bengals will feature two of the NFL's brightest young stars, quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow. Burrow, 27, suffered a season-ending wrist injury in Week 10 last year, so it will be interesting to see if he returns to 100% peak form.
New York Jets vs. Minnesota Vikings
Sunday, October 6th, 9:30 a.m. ET
In the first NFL game of the season in London, Rodgers will face the Vikings, his old rival from his days as a signalman for the Packers. The Vikings could feature recently drafted QB JJ McCarthy. This match will be played at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Chicago Bears
Sunday, October 13th, 9:30am ET
The Jaguars are frequent visitors across the pond, and will play their league-leading 12th game in London. The Bears have an exciting draw with No. 1 overall draft pick Caleb Williams leading a retooled offense that could potentially be uplifting.
New England Patriots vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Sunday, October 20th, 9:30 a.m. ET
The Jags will be able to stay in the UK for a week, making it their second consecutive year playing back-to-back games overseas. This time they will face the Patriots, and new QB Drake Maye, who was selected third overall in last month's draft, is likely to start.
New York Giants vs. Carolina Panthers
Sunday, November 10th, 9:30am ET
The NFL returns to Germany for the second consecutive season, this time with games being played at Munich's Allianz Arena. Last season, two league games were played in Frankfurt.
