When does the 2024 NFL season start? First game, schedule
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+.
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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
Home: Patriots, Dolphins, Jets, Jaguars, Titans, Chiefs, Cardinals, 49ers
Away: Patriots, Dolphins, Jets, Texans, Colts, Ravens, Rams, Seahawks, Lions
Home: Bills, Patriots, Jets, Jaguars, Titans, Raiders, Cardinals, 49ers
Away: Bills, Patriots, Jets, Texans, Colts, Browns, Rams, Seahawks, Packers
Home: Bills, Dolphins, Jets, Texans, Colts, Chargers, Rams, Seahawks
Away: Bills, Dolphins, Jets, Bengals, Titans, Jaguars, 49ers, Cardinals, Bears
Home: Patriots, Dolphins, Bills, Texans, Colts, Broncos, Rams, Seahawks
Away: Patriots, Dolphins, Bills, Jaguars, Titans, Steelers, Cardinals, 49ers, Vikings
AFC South
Home: Colts, Jaguars, Titans, Bills, Dolphins, Ravens, Bears, Lions
Away: Colts, Jaguars, Titans, Jets, Patriots, Chiefs, Packers, Vikings, Cowboys
Home: Texans, Jaguars, Titans, Dolphins, Bills, Steelers, Lions, Bears
Away: Texans, Jaguars, Titans, Jets, Patriots, Broncos, Giants, Packers, Vikings
Home: Texans, Colts, Titans, Patriots, Jets, Packers, Vikings, Browns
Away: Texans, Colts, Titans, Dolphins, Raiders, Bills, Eagles, Bears, Lions
Home: Texans, Colts, Jaguars, Patriots, Jets, Bengals, Packers, Vikings
Away: Texans, Colts, Jaguars, Dolphins, Bills, Chargers, Bears, Lions, Commanders
AFC North
Home: Bengals, Browns, Steelers, Broncos, Raiders, Bills, Eagles, Commanders
Away: Bengals, Browns, Steelers, Chiefs, Chargers, Texans, Cowboys, Giants, Buccaneers
Home: Ravens, Browns, Steelers, Broncos, Raiders, Patriots, Eagles, Commanders
Away: Ravens, Browns, Steelers, Chiefs, Chargers, Titans, Cowboys, Giants, Panthers
Home: Steelers, Bengals, Ravens, Chiefs, Chargers, Dolphins, Cowboys, Giants
Away: Steelers, Bengals, Ravens, Broncos, Raiders, Jaguars, Eagles, Commanders, Saints
Home: Ravens, Bengals, Browns, Chiefs, Chargers, Jets, Giants, Cowboys
Away: Ravens, Bengals, Browns, Broncos, Raiders, Colts, Eagles, Commanders, Falcons
AFC West
Home: Chiefs, Chargers, Raiders, Browns, Steelers, Colts, Falcons, Panthers
Away: Chiefs, Chargers, Raiders, Ravens, Bengals, Jets, Saints, Buccaneers, Seahawks
Home: Chiefs, Chargers, Broncos, Browns, Steelers, Jaguars, Falcons, Panthers
Away: Chiefs, Chargers, Broncos, Ravens, Bengals, Dolphins, Saints, Buccaneers, Rams
Home: Broncos, Chiefs, Raiders, Ravens, Bengals, Saints, Buccaneers, Titans
Away: Broncos, Chiefs, Raiders, Browns, Steelers, Patriots, Falcons, Panthers, Cardinals
Home: Broncos, Chargers, Raiders, Ravens, Bengals, Texans, Saints, Buccaneers
Away: Broncos, Chargers, Raiders, Steelers, Browns, Bills, Falcons, Panthers, 49ers
NFC East
Home: Giants, Eagles, Commanders, Saints, Buccaneers, Lions, Ravens, Bengals, Texans
Away: Giants, Eagles, Commanders, Falcons, Panthers, 49ers, Browns, Steelers
Home: Commanders, Cowboys, Eagles, Saints, Buccaneers, Vikings, Ravens, Bengals, Colts
Away: Commanders, Cowboys, Eagles, Panthers, Falcons, Seahawks, Steelers, Browns
Home: Giants, Cowboys, Commanders, Panthers, Falcons, Packers, Steelers, Browns, Jaguars
Away: Giants, Cowboys, Commanders, Rams, Saints, Buccaneers, Bengals, Ravens
Home: Cowboys, Eagles, Giants, Falcons, Panthers, Bears, Browns, Steelers, Titans
Away: Cowboys, Eagles, Giants, Saints, Buccaneers, Cardinals, Bengals, Ravens
NFC North
Home: Lions, Packers, Vikings, Panthers, Rams, Seahawks, Jaguars, Titans, Patriots
Away: Lions, Packers, Vikings, Cardinals, 49ers, Commanders, Texans, Colts
Home: Bears, Packers, Vikings, Buccaneers, Rams, Seahawks, Jaguars, Titans, Bills
Away: Bears, Packers, Vikings, Cowboys, Cardinals, 49ers, Texans, Colts
Home: Bears, Lions, Vikings, Cardinals, 49ers, Saints, Colts, Texans, Dolphins
Away: Bears, Lions, Vikings, Eagles, Rams, Seahawks, Jaguars, Titans
Home: Bears, Lions, Packers, Cardinals, 49ers, Falcons, Texans, Colts, Jets
Away: Bears, Lions, Packers, Rams, Seahawks, Giants, Jaguars, Titans
NFC South
Home: Panthers, Saints, Buccaneers, Cowboys, Giants, Seahawks, Chiefs, Chargers, Steelers
Away: Panthers, Saints, Buccaneers, Commanders, Eagles, Vikings, Broncos, Raiders
Home: Falcons, Saints, Buccaneers, Cowboys, Giants, Cardinals, Chiefs, Chargers, Bengals
Away: Falcons, Saints, Buccaneers, Eagles, Commanders, Bears, Broncos, Raiders
Home: Falcons, Buccaneers, Panthers, Eagles, Commanders, Rams, Broncos, Raiders, Browns
Away: Falcons, Buccaneers, Panthers, Cowboys, Giants, Packers, Chiefs, Chargers
Home: Falcons, Panthers, Saints, Eagles, 49ers, Commanders, Ravens, Broncos, Raiders
Away: Falcons, Panthers, Saints, Cowboys, Giants, Lions, Chiefs, Chargers
NFC West
Home: 49ers, Rams, Seahawks, Bears, Lions, Commanders, Patriots, Jets, Chargers
Away: 49ers, Rams, Seahawks, Packers, Vikings, Panthers, Dolphins, Bills
Home: 49ers, Cardinals, Seahawks, Packers, Vikings, Eagles, Bills, Dolphins, Raiders
Away: 49ers, Cardinals, Seahawks, Lions, Bears, Saints, Patriots, Jets
Home: Cardinals, Rams, Seahawks, Bears, Lions, Cowboys, Jets, Patriots, Chiefs
Away: Cardinals, Rams, Seahawks, Packers, Vikings, Buccaneers, Dolphins, Bills
Home: Rams, Cardinals, 49ers, Packers, Vikings, Giants, Dolphins, Bills, Broncos
Away: Rams, Cardinals, 49ers, Bears, Lions, Falcons, Patriots, Jets