Honestly, the wait for football always feels like a lifetime. One minute you're watching the confetti fall in February, and the next, you're staring at a calendar in July wondering if the humidity is ever going to break. If you're looking for the short answer to when does the NFL season start 2024, circle Thursday, September 5, 2024, on your calendar. That’s the night it all gets real.
The league isn't exactly easing us into things, either. We’re getting a heavy-hitter rematch right out of the gate. The Kansas City Chiefs are hosting the Baltimore Ravens at Arrowhead Stadium. It’s basically a "welcome back" gift from the schedule makers, pitting Patrick Mahomes against Lamar Jackson. If that doesn't get your blood pumping, I'm not sure what will.
The Kickoff Weekend: More Than Just Thursday Night
Most people assume the season starts and then we just wait for Sunday. Not this year. The NFL decided to get experimental for 2024.
After the Chiefs and Ravens beat each other up on Thursday, we’ve got a historic Friday night game. On September 6, the Green Bay Packers and the Philadelphia Eagles are heading down to São Paulo, Brazil. This is a massive deal because it’s the first time the NFL has ever played a regular-season game in South America. If you're a Peacock subscriber, you're in luck, because that’s the only place you’ll find it unless you live in the local markets for those teams.
Then, of course, the floodgates open on Sunday, September 8. We’ve got the standard 1:00 PM ET slate, but the real intrigue comes later in the afternoon. Tom Brady is making his broadcasting debut for FOX during the Cowboys vs. Browns game at 4:25 PM ET. It'll be weird hearing him talk about the game instead of dissecting defenses, but hey, times change.
The Long Road Through Training Camp and Preseason
You can't just wake up and play at an elite level. Well, maybe some guys can, but for the rest, the grind starts way earlier. Most teams have their rookies reporting to camp in mid-July—around July 16 to July 19. The veterans usually show up about a week later, with the bulk of the league arriving by July 23.
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If you're a die-hard fan who needs a fix before the "real" games start, the Hall of Fame Game is your first hit. That happened on August 1, featuring the Chicago Bears and the Houston Texans. It’s usually a lot of third-stringers and guys trying to make the practice squad, but it’s football, so we watch it anyway.
The preseason itself is a three-week sprint now:
- Week 1: August 8–11
- Week 2: August 15–18
- Week 3: August 22–25
By August 27, every team has to cut their roster down from 90 players to the final 53. It’s easily the most brutal day of the year for the players, but for us, it’s the final sign that the regular season is around the corner.
New Rules to Watch for in 2024
You’re going to notice something weird the first time a team kicks off. The NFL completely overhauled the kickoff rules for 2024. They’re calling it the "Dynamic Kickoff." Basically, they’re trying to bring the return back into the game while keeping guys from sprinting 40 yards and colliding like car crashes.
The kicker stays at his own 35, but the rest of the kicking team lines up at the opponent's 40-yard line. The receiving team has most of its guys in a "setup zone" between the 30 and 35. Nobody can move until the ball hits the ground or a player in the "landing zone." It’s gonna look like a mess for the first few weeks until everyone gets the hang of it.
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Also, the "hip-drop tackle" is officially banned. This one is controversial. It’s when a defender grabs the runner and drops his weight onto the runner's legs. It’s caused some nasty ankle and knee injuries (just ask Mark Andrews), but defenders are complaining that it makes their job almost impossible. Expect some "unnecessary roughness" flags that make you want to throw your remote at the TV.
International Games and Holidays
The NFL is basically trying to take over the world at this point. Outside of the Brazil game, the International Series is packed.
London is getting its usual three-game residency in October. The Jets, Vikings, Jaguars, Bears, and Patriots are all making the trek across the pond. Then, in November, the Giants and Panthers are heading to Munich, Germany. If you enjoy waking up at 9:30 AM on a Sunday to watch football with your coffee, these games are your best friend.
And don't even get me started on the holiday schedule. We have the traditional Thanksgiving triple-header (Lions, Cowboys, and a night game with the Packers and Dolphins). But the NFL is also squatting on Christmas Day again, despite it being a Wednesday. We’re getting two games: Chiefs at Steelers and Ravens at Texans. It's a bold move, but the ratings don't lie—people want football with their turkey and tinsel.
How to Make Sure You Don't Miss Kickoff
If you're trying to figure out how to actually watch these games, it’s getting complicated. You basically need a spreadsheet.
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- Thursday Nights: Exclusively on Amazon Prime Video (except for the opener).
- Friday Night (Brazil): Peacock.
- Sunday Days: CBS and FOX.
- Sunday Night: NBC and Peacock.
- Monday Night: ESPN and ABC.
- International/Holiday Games: A mix of NFL Network, Netflix (for Christmas), and local channels.
The best thing you can do right now is check your subscriptions. If you’re a "cord cutter," you might want to look into YouTube TV or Fubo, which usually carry the local channels and NFL Network.
Basically, the NFL season starts 2024 journey is a marathon, not a sprint. We’ve got 18 weeks of regular-season action, followed by the playoffs starting January 11, 2025. It all culminates in Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans on February 9.
The best next step is to download your specific team's schedule and sync it to your phone calendar. Most team websites have a "Sync to Calendar" button that handles all the time zone conversions for you so you aren't guessing when that 4:05 PM kickoff actually starts.
Actionable Insight: Check your streaming login credentials today. There is nothing worse than trying to reset a password five minutes before the Chiefs and Ravens kick off on September 5 while your friends are waiting for the game to start.