Chiefs to Kick Off NFL Season in Showdown Against Ravens

The anticipation is building as the Kansas City Chiefs gear up for their pursuit of a third consecutive Super Bowl title, and they’re set to kick off the 2024 NFL season in spectacular fashion. The entire nation will be watching as the Chiefs take on the Baltimore Ravens in the season opener.

Scheduled for Thursday, September 5th, the game will be broadcasted on NBC and Peacock, both under the same parent company as NBC News.

Traditionally, the reigning Super Bowl champions have the honour of playing in the first game of the season, often on the Thursday night of the opening weekend, though exceptions exist.

The full NFL schedule is slated to be unveiled on May 15th, to be broadcasted on the NFL Network and Peacock.

This inaugural matchup is a clash of titans. Last season, the Chiefs secured a victory over the Ravens in Baltimore during the AFC championship game with a score of 17-10. Despite the Ravens’ standing as the top seed in the AFC, the Chiefs’ robust defense secured the win, propelling them to the Super Bowl where they triumphed over the San Francisco 49ers in overtime with a score of 25-22.

Headlining the Chiefs are defensive stalwart Chris Jones, alongside star quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce, whose off-field endeavors, including his high-profile relationship with Taylor Swift, have kept him in the spotlight.

With Mahomes, Kelce, and Jones returning, and under the continued leadership of head coach Andy Reid, the Chiefs are poised for another compelling season.

Commenting on the Chiefs’ prospects, Mike Tirico, NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” play-by-play announcer, remarked on “TODAY” that, “They’ve got the big pieces back to work around. This is a team that has a chance to win four Super Bowls in six years. We haven’t seen that since the Pittsburgh dynasty of the ‘70s.”

Tirico also noted the significance of this opening game for the Ravens, offering them an opportunity to redeem themselves after last season’s playoff disappointment.

“This is a bit of a way to start the season for Baltimore, kind of clean last year’s slate a little bit,” he remarked.

In a separate announcement, the NFL revealed that the first game in Brazil will occur on Friday, September 6th, featuring the Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles in Sao Paulo. This marks the first time an NFL game will be played on a Friday during the opening week in over fifty years, highlighting the rarity of such occurrences in the league.

While Friday NFL games are infrequent, last year saw the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets square off on the Friday following Thanksgiving.