- WHERE: Levi's Stadium (Santa Clara, Calif.)
- WHEN: Week 1 | Sept. 9 | 8:20 p.m. ET | ESPN, NFL+
Take two of the Aaron Rodgers era in New York will kick off in prime time.
ABC announced Tuesday morning the New York Jets will visit the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football on Sept. 9.
Rodgers’ 2023 season famously lasted just four snaps before rupturing his Achilles tendon in prime time against Buffalo.
The 2024 comeback for the Jets will take flight against Nick Bosa and the Niners in Santa Clara. San Francisco, of course, famously passed on Rodgers way back in 2005 in favor of Alex Smith -- a fact that is sure to be brought up roughly 30,000 times between now and the start of the season.
The prime-time opener is not all about Rodgers.
The 49ers are attempting to wipe another bitter playoff exit, falling short in a Super Bowl overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. With Brock Purdy at the helm for another season, the 49ers boast an array of weapons, from Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, George Kittle and first-round pick Ricky Pearsall. They’ll face off against a star-studded Gang Green defense highlighted by Quinnen Williams, Sauce Gardner, C.J. Mosley, Jermaine Johnson II and new addition Haason Reddick -- whose hit on Purdy in the 2022 NFC Championship Game injured the QB.
Jets coach Robert Saleh kicks off a pivotal campaign traveling to his old stomping grounds in the Bay Area, where he was defensive coordinator for four seasons under Kyle Shanahan.
The kickoff storylines are plentiful for two clubs with designs on deep playoff runs in 2024. It makes perfect sense that the battle will be broadcast in prime time.
- WHERE: Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, Fla.)
- WHEN: Week 2 | Sept. 12 | 8:15 p.m. ET | Prime Video
The first Thursday Night Football game on Prime Video in 2024 features an AFC East showdown in South Beach.
The Dolphins will host the Bills at Hard Rock Stadium to kick off Week 2 on TNF, Amazon announced on Tuesday.
The Bills have won the past four meetings between the rivals, including a 2022 wild-card victory. Buffalo has dominated in recent years, winning 11 of the past 12 matchups.
The Fins' Week 4 blowout loss in Buffalo last season was the first blemish during a hot start to the campaign, as they opened 5-1.
Quarterback Josh Allen leads a revamped Bills squad that underwent drastic changes, including moving on from several veteran defensive players and seeing their top two receivers -- Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis -- leave the building. We'll find out early if the changes were the start of a rebuild or simply a refresh, with Allen and Co. continuing to roll through the division.
Miami got off to a scorching start last season before injuries decimated the defense, and the offense limped to the end of the line.
The Dolphins fell to the Bills in Week 18, losing their grip on the AFC East, and got walloped in sub-zero temperatures in Kansas City during Super Wild Card Weekend. Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle and the rest of a blazing Mike McDaniel offense will attempt to get off to a fast start once again by knocking off their division rivals in Week 2.
- WHERE: GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City, Mo.)
- WHEN: Week 2 | Sept. 15 | 4:25 p.m. ET | CBS, NFL+
The Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals will renew their rivalry in Week 2 of the 2024 NFL season.
CBS announced Tuesday morning that the AFC powers will kick off at 4:25 p.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 15.
The bout marks the sixth time the budding rivals will face off in three seasons. It’s the first time they will meet before December.
Joe Burrow missed the last matchup in 2023 against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs after suffering a season-ending wrist injury in Week 11. All signs point to the QB being ready for training camp in July, keeping him on pace for the early showdown with Mahomes.
The Bengals won the first three matchups against the Chiefs in the Burrow-Mahomes era, leading to the infamous "Burrowhead" chatter before the 2022 AFC Championship Game. K.C. won that tilt to head to the Super Bowl and own a two-game win streak over Cincy.
Placing the game early in the season gives the best chance both QBs will be healthy for the showdown in 2024.
The signal-callers are the headliners, but the matchup offers additional intrigue. The sides sport two defenses that could be among the best in the league. Travis Kelce, Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Marquise Brown, rookie Xavier Worthy, Isiah Pacheco and others highlight what could become a classic showdown.
The Chiefs open the season against the Baltimore Ravens, followed by the Bengals. That’s a serious one-two punch for the two-time defending Super Bowl champs to start the campaign.
