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Baltimore takes on Kansas City on Thursday night in the NFL season opener

Vaseline September 5, 2024

The NFL season is finally here again, and the opener of the 2024 season is one of the most anticipated games of the entire year.

Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce (and maybe Taylor Swift?) welcome reigning NFL MVP Lamar Jackson to Arrowhead Stadium at 8:20 ET on NBC. The game is a rematch of last season’s AFC title game, which saw visiting Kansas City win 17-10.

Do the Chiefs have enough firepower to become the first team in NFL history to win three consecutive Super Bowls? Will the addition of running back Derrick Henry help Baltimore get over the hump?

It all kicks off Thursday night. Stay with NBC News for in-game updates, highlights and analysis.

Baltimore Ravens at Kansas City Chiefs

Date: Thursday September 5th
Time: 8:20pm ET
How to watch: NBC, Peacock, Telemundo
Where: Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City

Will Taylor Swift be at the game?

Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce had a remarkable year on and off the field. He led Kansas City in receiving yards (984), receptions (93) and targets (121), and his girlfriend Taylor Swift was in the crowd to see him shine 13 times last season.

The 14-time Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter has no shows scheduled for September, so there’s a chance she could be at the Baltimore Ravens vs. Kansas City Chiefs game on Thursday. – Mary Omatiga

Chiefs attempt to win third straight Super Bowl

No team in NFL history has won three consecutive Super Bowls. Will that change this season? The Chiefs have won eight consecutive division titles — the longest active streak in the NFL — and have made the playoffs nine straight seasons (also the longest active streak in the NFL).

What Derrick Henry Means to Baltimore

The Ravens have signed All-Pro running back Derrick Henry in free agency to a two-year, $16 million contract that could increase to $20 million with bonuses.

Henry joins from the Tennessee Titans. He has rushed for at least 1,500 yards in three of his last five seasons. The 30-year-old was the league’s leading rusher in 2019 and 2020 and has at least six straight seasons of 10+ rushing marks.

Replay of last season’s AFC title match

The Chiefs won last season’s postseason matchup 17-10 at Baltimore, a game in which the Ravens committed three turnovers (including two in the end zone) and raised questions about star QB Lamar Jackson.

Jackson, who won the MVP award last year, finished just 2-4 in the playoffs.

Mahomes was 30-for-39 for 241 yards and a touchdown in that game. Travis Kelce exploded for 11 catches, 116 yards and a score.

Greg Rosenstein, Rohan Nadkarni And Tim Perone contributed.