Ranking the most intriguing NFL season opener matchups for the Kansas City Chiefs

The 2024 NFL schedule will be released on Wednesday, May 15.

The schedule release is one of the most exciting parts of the offseason as fans begin to prepare for which games they want to attend. Or, if you're a fan who takes football perhaps a little too seriously, you begin planning your entire fall and winter around the NFL.

As reigning back-to-back Super Bowl champs, the Kansas City Chiefs will once again host the season opener. With eight possible opponents to choose from, the league is tasked with picking the most intriguing matchup. Let’s rank the best potential matchups for that opening game:

No. 8: Denver Broncos

The Broncos are probably the weakest team on the Chiefs' home schedule. Denver is still in the early stages of rebuilding and has major questions at quarterback. First-round pick Bo Nix could begin the year as the starter, but if so, he will likely go through plenty of rookie growing pains.

Alternatively, the Broncos could go with the newly acquired Zach Wilson as their starting QB, but he has been a major first-round bust through three seasons. The Broncos did finally snap their 16-game losing streak to the Chiefs last year, but still finished with a losing record. A realistic win total for Denver is probably somewhere between 7-9.

No. 7: Las Vegas Raiders

Like the Broncos, the Raiders were also able to pull off a shocking upset against K.C. last season. However, that loss for the Chiefs was more about them hitting rock bottom and being off their game than it was a tribute to the Raiders' performance.

Las Vegas has a wide receiving and tight end corps that some Super Bowl contenders would be envious of, but there's a problem - they have no quarterback. Well, they obviously have a quarterback in the literal sense. Second year man Aidan O'Connell will look to hold on to the starting job that he earned at the end of last year, but free agent addition Gardner Minshew will attempt to take over.

However, neither option is very exciting, which puts a low ceiling on all their offensive weapons. The Raiders also still have much to be desired on the defensive side of the ball, beyond of course pass rushing great Maxx Crosby. 

No. 6: New Orleans Saints

Long gone are the exciting days of the Saints' explosive offense led by future Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees. Former Las Vegas Raider Derek Carr, who Chiefs fans know all too well, is now at the helm, which means dink and dunk all day long. Dennis Allen, who has a 24-26 career record as a head coach, strikes fear into nobody.

The Saints finished just above .500 last season with a 9-8 record but fell short of making the postseason. There are a few former Chiefs on the defensive side of the ball for New Orleans - safety Tyrann Mathieu, defensive linemen Khalen Saunders and Tanoh Kpassagnon and linebacker Willie Gay - which would make for an intriguing storyline.

No. 5: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Bucs could be a dark horse candidate to play K.C. in the season opener for a few reasons, most notably because of the quarterback matchup. Patrick Mahomes and Baker Mayfield have a rivalry that dates back to their college days and the two have also faced off in the playoffs.

The Bucs were a playoff team last year and have a pair of explosive receivers in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. The Chiefs loss to the Bucs in Super Bowl LV could get some play as a storyline, but it's safe to say that Chiefs fans have moved on from that after winning each of the last two Super Bowls.

K.C. also somewhat avenged that loss in 2022 with a 41-31 victory in Tampa. And while Mayfield is a known name, the truth is he hasn't accomplished a whole lot in his career. The Bucs may have made the playoffs last year, but they're far from a lock to do so again in 2024.

No. 4: Los Angeles Chargers

It's a new era in L.A. with coach Jim Harbaugh now at the helm. There's no doubt that people will be excited to see how Harbaugh does in his second stint in the NFL, but success could take time. However, he does have a great building block to start with in quarterback Justin Herbert.

The Chargers lost a lot of big pieces this offseason in receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams as well as running back Austin Ekeler. There will be a learning curve as Harbaugh's system is implemented and he leans on some young players. The Chargers usually play the Chiefs close, but L.A. having everything ready to roll against the champs right off the bat of the season is unlikely. 

No. 3: Cincinnati Bengals

At the beginning of last season, the Chiefs-Bengals rivalry was the hottest in the NFL. However, the Bengals ran into some bad luck with injuries and just couldn't get into a rhythm. They will justifiably be a popular bounce-back candidate in 2024, especially if quarterback Joe Burrow stays healthy.

Cincinnati has shuffled some pieces around this offseason, but it's key core still remains. The Bengals are easily a formidable choice to face K.C. in the opener - and the summer long trash talking between the two teams would be entertaining - but it's possible that Cincy has been leapfrogged by a few other teams in the AFC pecking order.

No. 2: Baltimore Ravens

This matchup doesn't need much selling. It will be a rematch of last season's AFC Championship Game, and the Ravens and Chiefs are the consensus top two teams in the conference. Baltimore, still chasing a Super Bowl title with Lamar Jackson as its quarterback, is one of the hungriest teams in the league. 

Like the Bengals, the Ravens also did some reshuffling to their roster, but still have one of the best in the league. Pairing their prize free agent acquisition running back Derek Henry with Jackson in the backfield will give defensive coordinators nightmares. Baltimore could replace Cincinnati and the Buffalo Bills as the Chiefs' top rival in 2024.

No. 1: Houston Texans

Last year the NFL chose the up-and-coming Detroit Lions to face the Chiefs in the opener, and it was a home run decision. The Lions stunned K.C. with an upset victory, which set the tone for Detroit's entire Cinderella season. This year, it's the Texans who are the hot pick to take the league by storm.

Not many people expected the Texans to get things going so quickly in 2023. Behind 2023 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year quarterback C.J. Stroud, Houston boasted one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL and won the AFC South title. The Texans then routed the Cleveland Browns in the wild-card round before coming up short in the divisional round to the Ravens. 

Houston has bolstered its roster even more this offseason with additions such as receiver Stefon Diggs, running back Joe Mixon and defensive end Danielle Hunter. It's clear that the Texans have an "all in" mentality entering 2024, and getting passed the Chiefs will be their biggest test. This matchup would be the most exciting way to kick off the season and could be an AFC Championship Game preview.