49ers schedule includes hosting Chiefs Week 7; Raiders open season against division rival
Even though the Super Bowl rematch between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers will not occur until almost the midpoint of the season, NFL fans will be treated to a pair of playoff rematches on the opening weekend.
Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs begin their quest for an unprecedented third straight Super Bowl title when they host the Baltimore Ravens on Sept. 5 in the Kickoff Game while the Los Angeles Rams are at the Detroit Lions in the Sunday night game on Sept. 8.
The two playoff rematches on Week 1 are among nine on this year's regular schedule, which was released by the league Wednesday night.
San Francisco 49ers
The season starts on Monday Night Football with the Niners hosting Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets.
Kansas City heads to San Francisco on Oct. 20, after defeating the 49ers 25-22 in the second overtime game in Super Bowl history. It also marks the second straight season the Chiefs will have a Super Bowl rematch after they lost to the Philadelphia Eagles in a Monday night game last season.
The Niners bye week will be Week 9 after they host the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football Week 8.
The rematch of the NFC championship game between the 49ers and Lions won't happen until Dec. 30 in San Francisco, which is the last Monday night game of the season.
After the Lions game, the 49ers' regular season will conclude in Arizona against the Cardinals.
Here's the 49ers full schedule:
Week 1 vs Jets
Week 2 at Vikings
Week 3 at Rams
Week 4 vs Patriots
Week 5 vs Cardinals
Week 6 at Seahawks
Week 7 vs Chiefs
Week 8 vs Cowboys
Week 9 Bye
Week 10 at Buccaneers
Week 11 vs Seahawks
Week 12 at Packers
Week 13 at Bills
Week 14 vs Bears
Week 15 vs Rams
Week 16 at Dolphins
Week 17 vs Lions
Week 18 at Cardinals
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders will open the season in Los Angeles as they take on their division rival Chargers.
They will get a bye in Week 10 before heading out to Miami to take on the Dolphins.
The Raiders will host the Atlanta Falcons for Monday Night Football on Dec. 16. The season ends with the same opponent it stared with as the Raiders host the Chargers, but a date for the game is yet to be announced.
Here's the Raiders full schedule:
Week 1 at Chargers
Week 2 at Ravens
Week 3 vs Panthers
Week 4 vs Browns
Week 5 at Broncos
Week 6 vs Steelers
Week 7 at Rams
Week 8 vs Chiefs
Week 9 at Bengals
Week 10 Bye
Week 11 at Dolphins
Week 12 vs Broncos
Week 13 at Chiefs
Week 14 at Buccaneers
Week 15 vs Falcons
Week 16 at Jaguars
Week 17 at Saints
Week 18 vs Chargers
Among other highlights:
Kirk Cousins' first game with the Atlanta Falcons will be at home on Sept. 8 when they host Russell Wilson and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Cousins signed a four-year, $180 million deal with the Falcons during the offseason.
Wilson is making his Steelers' debut after being released by Denver. It will also mark the return of Arthur Smith, who is the Steelers offensive coordinator after being fired as Falcons coach.
Caleb Williams, the top overall pick by Chicago in last month's draft, will make his Bears debut against Tennessee. Chicago then goes to Houston for a Sunday night game on Sept. 15 against the Texans and reigning AP Offensive Rookie of the Year C.J. Stroud.
The top two picks in the draft could meet on Oct. 27 in Washington when the Bears face the Commanders and Jayden Daniels.
Including the Kickoff Game, "Thursday Night Football" and Thanksgiving, 14 teams will be playing multiple Thursday games.
The league amended its policy last season where teams could make more than one appearance on Thursday nights.
Six teams — the Jaguars, Titans, Colts, Cardinals, Panthers and Chargers — will not have the short Sunday to Thursday turnaround.
Rodgers will be facing a familiar opponent, albeit in a different uniform and in a new location.
Rodgers and the New York Jets will kick off this year's games in London when they are the visiting team against the Minnesota Vikings at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Oct. 6.
Rodgers went 17-11-1 against the Vikings when he was with the Green Bay Packers. The four-time NFL MVP was traded to the Jets last year, but tore his left Achilles tendon on the first series of last year's opener against the Buffalo Bills.
Rodgers is on track to return to practice without limitations once the Jets begin voluntary spring sessions next week. The league announced Tuesday that the Jets would open the season on "Monday Night Football" at NFC champion San Francisco on Sept. 9.
The Jacksonville Jaguars will spend back-to-back weeks in London for the second straight year and face two of this year's top three quarterbacks that were taken in the NFL draft. The Jaguars will visit top draft pick Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Oct. 13 and then host the New England Patriots, who took Drake Maye third, at Wembley Stadium on Oct. 20.
The Carolina Panthers will host the New York Giants in Germany on Nov. 10 at Allianz Arena in Munich. In March, the league announced the Eagles will host the Packers in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Sept. 6.
Netflix has reached a three-year deal with the league to carry games on Christmas Day.
The streaming giant will carry two games this year and at least one game in 2025 and '26. Kansas City travels to Pittsburgh in the first game before the Ravens and Texans meet in the late afternoon.
