The Kansas City Chiefs, the NFL’s reigning champions, are gearing up for an electrifying 2024 season. Their schedule, packed with five primetime games and two exclusive streaming contests, is a testament to their popularity and sets the stage for their audacious quest to Three-Peat.
The NFL released its official 2024 schedule Wednesday night, and in their theatrical delivery to fans of the 32 fans, they didn’t miss a step in recognizing which NFL team gets the most significant ratings.
The Kansas City Chiefs will play five primetime games on NBC and ESPN. They’ll also be featured on Black Friday, facing division rivals the Las Vegas Raiders at Arrowhead on Amazon, and Christmas Day in Pittsburgh to face the Steelers on Netflix.
The Chiefs also became the first team in the NFL to play football games six out of seven days a week. It’s quite an honor to be featured so often, but it also comes with a heavy price in December, when they’ll play three games in ten days.
That wild stretch begins in Cleveland on Sunday, December 15th. Six days later, the Chiefs play a home game against the Houston Texans, and four days later, on Christmas Day, they play the Steelers. It’s safe to assume that by the time the Chiefs open their gifts on Christmas Eve, they’ll have already won the AFC West and the top seed in the conference.
At first glance, the Chiefs’ 2024 schedule may seem daunting. However, regardless of the ease or difficulty of the games ahead, Kansas City always rises to the occasion, demonstrating its unwavering resilience and determination.
Last year, Kansas City had a rough stretch, but thankfully, they turned around their season after an embarrassing loss to the Raiders on Christmas Day. This year, with new weapons on offense and the chance to win Three Straight Super Bowls, they are focused on fending off every team in their path.
So, who do the Chiefs play in 2024?
Week 1 vs. Baltimore Ravens: The rematch of the AFC Championship game shifts to Kansas City. The Ravens have lost some key players on defense but added King Henry to stabilize their running game.
Week 2 vs. Cincinnati Bengals: Joe Burrow missed most of last season with multiple injuries. Wide Receiver Tee Higgins is feuding with the team over a new contract, and Tyler Boyd was shipped to the Titans.
Week 3 @Atlanta Falcons: Former Minnesota Vikings Quarterback Kirk Cousins signed a massive free agent deal in March. However, with their first-round pick, Atlanta Drafted Washington Quarterback Michael Penix, Jr.
Week 4 @ Los Angeles Chargers: With Jim Harbaugh running the show in Los Angeles, the Chiefs’ main AFC Rival will undoubtedly be better this season. However, it might take time for this team to put it all together.
Week 5 vs. New Orleans Saints: Derek Carr had mild success against the Chiefs when he played for the Raiders, but in New Orleans, he didn’t find enough success to believe he’s their future. That might belong to fifth-round pick Quarterback Spencer Rattler.
Week 6 Bye Week
Week 7 @San Francisco 49ers: In the Mahomes era, Kansas has won four straight games against the NFC West powerhouse. With some turmoil inside the organization after their bitter OT loss to the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII, it’s anyone’s guess how the 49ers will bounce back.
Week 8 @ Las Vegas Raiders: Sooner or later, the Silver and Black will win a game at home against Kansas City. Even though the Raiders have a fiery new head coach in Antonio Pierce, who believes he has the secret sauce to defeating Mahomes, this team has its own quarterback issues to fix first.
Week 9 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Baker Mayfield had a comeback story a year ago, resurrecting his career in the weak NFC South. With Wide Receiver Michael Evans on the roster, this one-two punch can carry the Bucs to another division title.
Week 10 vs. Denver Broncos: Head Coach Sean Payton will rely heavily on Rookie Quarterback Bo Nix to resurrect the offense that failed under Russell Wilson last season. Denver has some talent, but not enough to impact the division.
Week 11 @ Buffalo Bills: The Chiefs own the Bills in the postseason, but the regular season is a far different fight for Kansas City. Buffalo appears to have the Chiefs number outside of the playoffs. They’ve won three straight against the Chiefs, including last year at Arrowhead.
Week 12 @ Carolina Panthers: Bryce Young was a disappointment last season, but Carolina is under new management and a new coaching staff and had a solid 2024 draft. They have a long way to go to be competitive again, but at least they have an executable plan to turn the franchise around.
Week 13 vs. Las Vegas Raiders: In this rematch on Black Friday at Arrowhead, the Chiefs will doubtfully play as poorly this year as they did last Christmas day, getting completely embarrassed by the Silver and Black.
Week 14 vs. Los Angeles Chargers: Quarterback Justin Herbert has all the tools to be an elite quarterback, but to date, he’s put up wild statistics but grossly underperformed in big moments. That should change under Jim Harbaugh.
Week 15 @ Cleveland Browns: We still don’t know what type of quarterback Deshaun Watson will become at the NFL level. Suspensions and injuries have stalled his career, but the Browns will lean on him to be the type of player who can win January football games.
Week 16 vs. Houston Texans: If one team scares me the most in the AFC, it’s the Texans and Quarterback C.J. Stroud. If he doesn’t hit the Sophomore wall, they’ll likely win the AFC South, and it could prove to be a stumbling block for the Chiefs in January.
Week 17 @ Pittsburgh Steelers: Playing their third game in ten days on Christmas Day is a brutal December season stretch for the Chiefs. However, if any team can overcome the drain on their bodies to perform at a high level in that period, it’s Kansas City.
Week 18 @ Denver Broncos: The Chiefs will rest their regulars for the season finale!
In Summary, the Chiefs’ quest to become the NFL’s first Three-Peat Super Bowl winner will depend on how well they navigate the regular season and prepare for the postseason journey to become considered the greatest NFL team ever.
