When does the 2024 NFL season start? First game, schedule (2024)

2024 NFL Week 1 is here! Stay up to date with everything you need to know about the start of the football season, including the biggest Week 1 games.

When does the 2024 NFL Season start?

The 2024 NFL Season will start with the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs at home on Thursday, September 5. The Chiefs will play an AFC title rematch against the Baltimore Ravens at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC.

Other Week 1 Games

Week 1 will also feature this season's first international game, as the Philadelphia Eagles will host a game against the Green Bay Packers in São Paulo, Brazil on Friday, September 6.

Tom Brady will make his FOX broadcasting debut when the Dallas Cowboys head to the Cleveland Browns in Week 1. The game will kick off at 4:25 p.m. ET on Sunday, September 8.

The first Monday Night Football game of the year will feature Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets traveling to the San Francisco 49ers on Monday, September 9 at 8:20 p.m. ET.

Here are the rest of the Week 1 schedule.

When did the 2024 NFL Preseason start?

The 2024 NFL Preseason began with the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on Thursday, August 1st at 8 p.m. ET. The Houston Texans faced off against the Chicago Bears on ESPN.

When was the 2024 NFL Schedule Release?

The 2024 NFL schedule was released on Wednesday, May 15 at 8 p.m. ET. This made for the latest scheduled release since 1990. It was released live on NFL Network and streaming on NFL+.

Past NFL Schedule Release Dates

• 2023 - May 11
• 2022 - May 12
• 2021 - May 12
• 2020 - May 7
• 2019 - April 17
• 2018 - April 19
• 2017 - April 20
• 2016 - April 14
• 2015 - April 21
• 2014 - April 23
• 2013 - April 18
• 2012 - April 17
• 2011 - April 19
• 2010 - April 20
• 2009 - April 14
• 2008 - April 15
• 2007 - April 11
• 2006 - April 6
• 2005 - April 13

How is the NFL schedule determined?

The NFL has detailed rules about how the schedule comes together. Check out the specifics below:

• Each team plays 17 regular season games.
• Each team receives a bye week.
• Teams alternate seasons where they host nine regular season games and one preseason game or eight regular season games and two preseason games.
• Each team has six games against divisional opponents - two against each team, one at home and one on the road.
• Each team has four games against teams from a division within its conference - two games at home and two on the road.
• Each team has four games against teams from a division in the other conference - two games at home and two on the road.
• Each team has two games against teams from the two remaining divisions in its own conference - one game at home and one on the road. Matchups are based on division ranking from the previous season.
• The 17th game for each team is an additional game against a non-conference opponent from a division that the team is not scheduled to play. Matchups are based on division ranking from the previous season.

2024 NFL Schedule Opponents

Below is a list of who each team will be playing this season, home and away:

AFC East

Buffalo Bills

Home: Patriots, Dolphins, Jets, Jaguars, Titans, Chiefs, Cardinals, 49ers
Away: Patriots, Dolphins, Jets, Texans, Colts, Ravens, Rams, Seahawks, Lions

Miami Dolphins

Home: Bills, Patriots, Jets, Jaguars, Titans, Raiders, Cardinals, 49ers
Away: Bills, Patriots, Jets, Texans, Colts, Browns, Rams, Seahawks, Packers

New England Patriots

Home: Bills, Dolphins, Jets, Texans, Colts, Chargers, Rams, Seahawks
Away: Bills, Dolphins, Jets, Bengals, Titans, Jaguars, 49ers, Cardinals, Bears

New York Jets

Home: Patriots, Dolphins, Bills, Texans, Colts, Broncos, Rams, Seahawks
Away: Patriots, Dolphins, Bills, Jaguars, Titans, Steelers, Cardinals, 49ers, Vikings

AFC South

Houston Texans

Home: Colts, Jaguars, Titans, Bills, Dolphins, Ravens, Bears, Lions
Away: Colts, Jaguars, Titans, Jets, Patriots, Chiefs, Packers, Vikings, Cowboys

Indianapolis Colts

Home: Texans, Jaguars, Titans, Dolphins, Bills, Steelers, Lions, Bears
Away: Texans, Jaguars, Titans, Jets, Patriots, Broncos, Giants, Packers, Vikings

Jacksonville Jaguars

Home: Texans, Colts, Titans, Patriots, Jets, Packers, Vikings, Browns
Away: Texans, Colts, Titans, Dolphins, Raiders, Bills, Eagles, Bears, Lions

Tennessee Titans

Home: Texans, Colts, Jaguars, Patriots, Jets, Bengals, Packers, Vikings
Away: Texans, Colts, Jaguars, Dolphins, Bills, Chargers, Bears, Lions, Commanders

AFC North

Baltimore Ravens

Home: Bengals, Browns, Steelers, Broncos, Raiders, Bills, Eagles, Commanders
Away: Bengals, Browns, Steelers, Chiefs, Chargers, Texans, Cowboys, Giants, Buccaneers

Cincinnati Bengals

Home: Ravens, Browns, Steelers, Broncos, Raiders, Patriots, Eagles, Commanders
Away: Ravens, Browns, Steelers, Chiefs, Chargers, Titans, Cowboys, Giants, Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Home: Steelers, Bengals, Ravens, Chiefs, Chargers, Dolphins, Cowboys, Giants
Away: Steelers, Bengals, Ravens, Broncos, Raiders, Jaguars, Eagles, Commanders, Saints

Pittsburgh Steelers

Home: Ravens, Bengals, Browns, Chiefs, Chargers, Jets, Giants, Cowboys
Away: Ravens, Bengals, Browns, Broncos, Raiders, Colts, Eagles, Commanders, Falcons

AFC West

Denver Broncos

Home: Chiefs, Chargers, Raiders, Browns, Steelers, Colts, Falcons, Panthers
Away: Chiefs, Chargers, Raiders, Ravens, Bengals, Jets, Saints, Buccaneers, Seahawks

Las Vegas Raiders

Home: Chiefs, Chargers, Broncos, Browns, Steelers, Jaguars, Falcons, Panthers
Away: Chiefs, Chargers, Broncos, Ravens, Bengals, Dolphins, Saints, Buccaneers, Rams

Los Angeles Chargers

Home: Broncos, Chiefs, Raiders, Ravens, Bengals, Saints, Buccaneers, Titans
Away: Broncos, Chiefs, Raiders, Browns, Steelers, Patriots, Falcons, Panthers, Cardinals

Kansas City Chiefs

Home: Broncos, Chargers, Raiders, Ravens, Bengals, Texans, Saints, Buccaneers
Away: Broncos, Chargers, Raiders, Steelers, Browns, Bills, Falcons, Panthers, 49ers

NFC East

Dallas Cowboys

Home: Giants, Eagles, Commanders, Saints, Buccaneers, Lions, Ravens, Bengals, Texans
Away: Giants, Eagles, Commanders, Falcons, Panthers, 49ers, Browns, Steelers

New York Giants

Home: Commanders, Cowboys, Eagles, Saints, Buccaneers, Vikings, Ravens, Bengals, Colts
Away: Commanders, Cowboys, Eagles, Panthers, Falcons, Seahawks, Steelers, Browns

Philadelphia Eagles

Home: Giants, Cowboys, Commanders, Panthers, Falcons, Packers, Steelers, Browns, Jaguars
Away: Giants, Cowboys, Commanders, Rams, Saints, Buccaneers, Bengals, Ravens

Washington Commanders

Home: Cowboys, Eagles, Giants, Falcons, Panthers, Bears, Browns, Steelers, Titans
Away: Cowboys, Eagles, Giants, Saints, Buccaneers, Cardinals, Bengals, Ravens

NFC North

Chicago Bears

Home: Lions, Packers, Vikings, Panthers, Rams, Seahawks, Jaguars, Titans, Patriots
Away: Lions, Packers, Vikings, Cardinals, 49ers, Commanders, Texans, Colts

Detroit Lions

Home: Bears, Packers, Vikings, Buccaneers, Rams, Seahawks, Jaguars, Titans, Bills
Away: Bears, Packers, Vikings, Cowboys, Cardinals, 49ers, Texans, Colts

Green Bay Packers

Home: Bears, Lions, Vikings, Cardinals, 49ers, Saints, Colts, Texans, Dolphins
Away: Bears, Lions, Vikings, Eagles, Rams, Seahawks, Jaguars, Titans

Minnesota Vikings

Home: Bears, Lions, Packers, Cardinals, 49ers, Falcons, Texans, Colts, Jets
Away: Bears, Lions, Packers, Rams, Seahawks, Giants, Jaguars, Titans

NFC South

Atlanta Falcons

Home: Panthers, Saints, Buccaneers, Cowboys, Giants, Seahawks, Chiefs, Chargers, Steelers
Away: Panthers, Saints, Buccaneers, Commanders, Eagles, Vikings, Broncos, Raiders

Carolina Panthers

Home: Falcons, Saints, Buccaneers, Cowboys, Giants, Cardinals, Chiefs, Chargers, Bengals
Away: Falcons, Saints, Buccaneers, Eagles, Commanders, Bears, Broncos, Raiders

New Orleans Saints

Home: Falcons, Buccaneers, Panthers, Eagles, Commanders, Rams, Broncos, Raiders, Browns
Away: Falcons, Buccaneers, Panthers, Cowboys, Giants, Packers, Chiefs, Chargers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Home: Falcons, Panthers, Saints, Eagles, 49ers, Commanders, Ravens, Broncos, Raiders
Away: Falcons, Panthers, Saints, Cowboys, Giants, Lions, Chiefs, Chargers

NFC West

Arizona Cardinals

Home: 49ers, Rams, Seahawks, Bears, Lions, Commanders, Patriots, Jets, Chargers
Away: 49ers, Rams, Seahawks, Packers, Vikings, Panthers, Dolphins, Bills

Los Angeles Rams

Home: 49ers, Cardinals, Seahawks, Packers, Vikings, Eagles, Bills, Dolphins, Raiders
Away: 49ers, Cardinals, Seahawks, Lions, Bears, Saints, Patriots, Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Home: Cardinals, Rams, Seahawks, Bears, Lions, Cowboys, Jets, Patriots, Chiefs
Away: Cardinals, Rams, Seahawks, Packers, Vikings, Buccaneers, Dolphins, Bills

Seattle Seahawks

Home: Rams, Cardinals, 49ers, Packers, Vikings, Giants, Dolphins, Bills, Broncos
Away: Rams, Cardinals, 49ers, Bears, Lions, Falcons, Patriots, Jets