The 2024 NFL regular season officially kicked off on Thursday, September 5, 2024, when the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs hosted the Baltimore Ravens. This opening matchup set the stage for an 18-week schedule that ran through January 5, 2025. If you're tracking how the timeline unfolded, the league structure moved from early training camps in July through a four-week preseason slate before launching into the official fall calendar.
Understanding the precise chronology helps you analyze how modern football schedules operate. The league spans nearly five months of regular action, followed by a multi-week postseason bracket culminating in Super Bowl LIX. Let's break down the exact dates, structural phases, and key broadcast milestones that defined the year.
Preseason and Training Camp Timeline
Before the first regular-season whistle blew, teams gathered to trim rosters and test rookie talent. Rookies and quarterbacks typically reported to training camp first, usually around mid-to-late July.
- Hall of Fame Game: The preseason curtain-raiser took place on Thursday, August 1, 2024, featuring the Chicago Bears and the Houston Texans at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio.
- Preseason Weeks 1 through 3: Throughout August, franchises played three exhibition games to evaluate roster depth before making final cuts down to the mandatory 53-player limit.
- Roster Cutdown Day: By late August, general managers finalized their initial 53-man rosters, clearing the path for Week 1 preparations.
Regular Season Structure and Opening Week
The 18-week regular season featured 272 total games, with each of the 32 teams playing 17 games and enjoying one bye week. Week 1 distributed marquee matchups across several standalone broadcast windows:
- Thursday Kickoff: Baltimore Ravens at Kansas City Chiefs on September 5, 2024.
- International Opener: Green Bay Packers vs. Philadelphia Eagles on Friday, September 6, 2024, at Arena Corinthians in São Paulo, Brazil—marking the first NFL regular-season game in South America.
- Sunday Night Football: Los Angeles Rams hosting the Detroit Lions on September 8, 2024.
- Monday Night Football: New York Jets visiting the San Francisco 49ers on September 9, 2024.
For official historical records and team-by-team database tracking, you can check the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Special Holiday Games and International Series
The league integrated several unique scheduling anomalies throughout the autumn and winter months, expanding global reach and holiday television blocks.
International Series
The 2024 calendar featured five games outside the United States. Aside from the historic São Paulo opener, three games took place in London, England (spanning Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and Wembley Stadium), and one game was hosted at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, on November 10, 2024.
Thanksgiving and Christmas Slate
Thanksgiving featured the traditional triple-header on November 28, 2024, showcasing the Chicago Bears at the Detroit Lions, the New York Giants at the Dallas Cowboys, and a primetime matchup with the Miami Dolphins at the Green Bay Packers.
Uniquely, because Christmas Day fell on a Wednesday, the league scheduled two exclusive games—Kansas City at Pittsburgh and Baltimore at Houston—broadcast globally via Netflix.
Postseason and Super Bowl LIX
The regular season concluded on January 5, 2025, after which 14 teams advanced to the playoffs.
- Wild Card Round: Began on Saturday, January 11, 2025.
- Divisional Round: Played mid-January.
- Conference Championships: Determined the AFC and NFC title holders.
- Super Bowl LIX: Held on Sunday, February 9, 2025, at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, where the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Kansas City Chiefs.
To review official league governance notes and historical archives, visit the NFL Official Site.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did training camps open for the 2024 season?
Most teams opened their training camps around July 24, 2024, allowing rookies and veterans a little over a month of preparation before the preseason games began.
How many games did each team play?
Every team played a 17-game regular-season schedule supplemented by a single bye week, spread across an 18-week window.
Where was Super Bowl LIX played?
The game took place at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, on February 9, 2025.
Who played in the first-ever NFL regular-season game in South America?
The Green Bay Packers and the Philadelphia Eagles squared off in São Paulo, Brazil, on September 6, 2024.
