Reigning champion Chiefs to face MVP-led Ravens in 2024 NFL opener
May 13 (UPI) -- The Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs will face reigning MVP Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens in the 2024 NFL season opener, the league announced Monday.
Kickoff is scheduled for 8:20 p.m. EDT Sept. 5 at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. The primetime Thursday Night Football matchup -- a rematch of January's AFC title game -- will air on NBC and stream on Peacock.
Full NFL schedules will be released at 8 p.m. Wednesday on NFL Network.
Jackson, who won his second MVP award in February, logged career-highs with 3,678 passing yards and a 67.2% completion percentage over 16 starts last season. He also threw 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions, while running for 821 yards and five more scores.
He led the Ravens to a 13-4 regular-season record and the No. 1 seed in the AFC.
The Ravens beat the Houston Texans in the divisional round before their AFC Championship game meeting with the Chiefs. The Chiefs won 17-10 on Jan. 28 in Baltimore, with tight end Travis Kelce's girlfriend and music star Taylor Swift attending.
Swift, who brought major attention to the Chiefs throughout the 2023-24 campaign, is performing in her Eras Tour, with dates set through early December. The tour includes a break between Aug. 21 and Oct. 17, increasing the likelihood that she could again attend several Chiefs games.
As reigning Super Bowl champions, the Chiefs will participate in the NFL's season opener for the third time in five years. They beat the Houston Texans in 2020 and then lost to the Detroit Lions in last year's opener.
Mahomes and the Chiefs are 4-1 in their last five meetings against Jackson and the Ravens.
The NFL previously announced that the Philadelphia Eagles will face the Green Bay Packers on Sept. 6 at Corinthians Arena in Sao Paulo.
The league also announced that the Jacksonville Jaguars will play at Wembley Stadium in London, while the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings will play games at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium there. The Carolina Panthers will play at Allianz Arena in Munich. Dates and opponents for those games will be announced later.
Super Bowl LIX is Feb. 9 in New Orleans.
