Ranking opponents we want to see open the 2024 NFL season against Kansas City

Defending Super Bowl champions have usually had the privilege of opening up the following season at home, which should be the case again for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2024. With the NFL schedule set to be released in the near future, we'll rank which teams we most want to see against the Chiefs in the first game. All statistics are sourced from Football Reference unless otherwise noted.

The Denver Post wrote in March 2024 that the Broncos organization finally decided to rebuild, which they argue should have happened much earlier.

While Denver picks up the pieces in hopes of restocking their roster with talent, slotting them into the season opener at Kansas City doesn't feel like all that compelling of a matchup. The matchup might be a little more intriguing if it happens later on the NFL calendar.

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The Saints want to return to the playoffs in the NFC South, and hired new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak to give them a spark. Sports Illustrated went into great detail about the ways Kubiak might help New Orleans in the coming season.

While Saints starting quarterback Derek Carr has faced the Chiefs 17 times in his career as the starter for the Las Vegas Raiders, he has only been victorious on three of those occasions. According to StatMuse, the last time Carr beat Kansas City in their home stadium was back in October 2020. The NFL has better alternatives to pick from than New Orleans in the season opener.

Speaking of the Raiders, they're also in the mix to face the Chiefs in Week 1 as an AFC West divisional opponent. Sporting News took a closer look at their free agent spending, and The Athletic highlighted why owner Mark Davis thinks Antonio Pierce is the right head coach to lead them into relevance once again.

Las Vegas went into Arrowhead Stadium last Christmas to soundly defeat Kansas City, leaving many to wonder whether the Chiefs had enough to make another Super Bowl. A rematch of that contest could showcase whether the Raiders have other defensive tricks up their sleeve for their AFC West rivals.

The Chargers have made a flurry of moves this offseason, and The Athletic noted that their actions may not have been for the best. Los Angeles parted ways with Mike Williams, Keenan Allen and Austin Ekeler, who have been reliable offensive weapons for the team in recent years.

Justin Herbert is rightfully still viewed as the biggest quarterback threat in the division to Kansas City, and it'll be interesting to see how he fares with a revamped roster. ESPN wondered whether Los Angeles' hire of Jim Harbaugh as head coach was the perfect match for both sides, and getting an early glimpse of that idea might be pretty fun to open the season.

Tampa Bay had somewhat of an unexpected run in the NFC playoffs a year ago. Quarterback Baker Mayfield showed signs that he could be a longer term answer at the position, and wide receiver Mike Evans continues to be among the best pass catchers in the NFL.

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Mayfield won't shy away from the spotlight of an NFL season opener, which makes the Bucs a reasonable choice to open the year in Kansas City. The matchup would also shine a light on Kansas City's reworked secondary, as they look to move on without L'Jarius Sneed, who was traded to the Tennessee Titans.

Sports Illustrated wrote in January that turnovers and a disappearing offense doomed the Ravens in the AFC title game against the Chiefs. Baltimore left a lot to be desired in that game, as they weren't able to snatch a victory that was there for the taking.

Baltimore added Derrick Henry to the mix in the offseason, who has been one of the best running backs in the NFL for several seasons. The Ravens' website believes that his physical style of football is a perfect fit for the identity the team has cultivated. It would be entertaining to see Henry debut against the defending Super Bowl champions.

Sports Illustrated and many others around the NFL believe that the Texans are legitimate Super Bowl contenders in 2024. Their blockbuster trade for wide receiver Stefon Diggs, as well as their underrated signing of running back Joe Mixon, has Houston on the precipice of greatness.

Pitting Houston against Kansas City to open the season would provide fans with a litmus test game right away. We'll find out pretty quickly whether the Texans have what it takes to hang in with a dynastic team, and whether Kansas City will be able to hold up against a potent roster.

Cincinnati's 2023 campaign didn't quite go as planned, as quarterback Joe Burrow was ultimately sidelined for the remainder of the season with a wrist injury. The Bengals hope that the passer will be fully healthy for the duration of the 2024 season.

Bengals-Chiefs have been an exciting rivalry in recent seasons. Cincinnati has won three out of their last five against the Chiefs, including the AFC championship game in 2022. However, Kansas City has taken home the last two editions in the series. If the schedule makers decide to pick this matchup in the season opener, the game could come down to the wire.

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