KANSAS CITY, Mo. — With the Kansas City Chiefs’ 2023 season now in the books, fans can start to look ahead to next season, which begins in seven months.
Coach Andy Reid's squad became the first back-to-back Super Bowl champions since 2003-04 and will try to become the first team in NFL history to three-peat as champs next season.
Here's the path they'll face through the regular season.
The Chiefs, of course, will play home and away games with their three division rivals — Denver, Las Vegas and the Los Angeles Chargers.
The AFC West schedule also includes matchups with every AFC North and NFC South team next season.
That means the Chiefs will host Baltimore, Cincinnati, New Orleans and Tampa Bay in 2024, while playing at Atlanta, Carolina, Cleveland and Pittsburgh.
As a division winner, Kansas City also plays the two remaining AFC division winners, drawing a home game with Houston and a road trip to Buffalo.
The 17th game will be at NFC West champion San Francisco next season in a rematch of Super Bowls LIV and LVIII.
Of course, as long as Patrick Mahomes remains the Chiefs’ quarterback, Kansas City will be among the Super Bowl favorites again next season.
The dates, times and broadcast information for the games will be released in May after the conclusion of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Here’s an early look at the Chiefs’ 2024 opponents:
Overall 2024 opponents’ record in 2023 (win percentage): 145-144 (.502)
ATLANTA FALCONS
Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta
2023 record: 7-10, 3rd in NFC South
Chiefs regular-season record vs. (road record): 7-3 (3-2)
Analysis: The Falcons moved on after three underwhelming seasons led by Arthur Smith.
There’s some talent on the roster, especially among the young skill-position players (Bijan Robinson, Kyle Pitts, Drake London), but Atlanta has yet to solve the QB position since moving on from Matt Ryan.
BALTIMORE RAVENS
Location: GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium
2023 record: 13-4, won AFC North
Chiefs regular-season record vs. (home record): 7-4 (2-2)
Analysis: Expect Lamar Jackson and the Ravens to remain an elite team in the AFC and one of the Chiefs’ primary roadblocks on the journey toward Super Bowl LIX.
Baltimore’s defense is among the best in the NFL year after year, and Jackson serves as an MVP-caliber foil for Mahomes.
The Chiefs bested the Ravens in the AFC Championship Game, so expect John Harbaugh’s bunch to be fired up for a regular-season shot at redemption.
BUFFALO BILLS
Location: Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York
2023 record: 11-6, won AFC East
Chiefs regular-season record vs. (road record): 21-27-1 (8-12-1)
Analysis: Allen vs. Mahomes might be the new Brady vs. Manning, though Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson perhaps have something to say about that among young stud AFC QBs.
This isn’t the first and won’t be the last matchup between Allen’s Bills and Mahomes’ Chiefs in a game that always has big-time playoff and postseason-seeding implications.
Lately, Allen’s had the upper hand in the regular season, but Mahomes continues to own his buddy in the postseason, including an AFC Divisional Round win in Mahomes’ first true road playoff game en route to Super Bowl LVIII.
CAROLINA PANTHERS
Location: Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte
2023 record: 2-15, 4th in NFC South
Chiefs regular-season record vs. (road record): 5-2 (2-1)
Analysis: The Panthers drafted Bryce Young first overall in 2023 and his debut season was a disaster, including the midseason firing of Frank Reich.
I wouldn’t expect Carolina to be ready to compete with Kansas City next season.
CINCINNATI BENGALS
Location: GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium
2023 record: 9-8, 4th in AFC North
Chiefs regular-season record vs. (home record): 15-17 (10-7)
Analysis: Assuming Joe Burrow’s healthy, Chiefs-Bengals is always appointment TV.
Cincinnati probably will chirp again before returning to Kansas City, but the Cincy Kitties may not be so bold to declare themselves bound for “Burrowhead” anymore.
Much like the Bills games, when the Chiefs play the Bengals, there are always postseason implications at stake.
CLEVELAND BROWNS
Location: Cleveland Browns Stadium
2023 record: 11-6, 2nd in AFC North
Chiefs regular-season record vs. (road record): 14-11-2 (4-8-1)
Analysis: Who’s going to be playing quarterback for the Browns?
Joe Flacco, who was plucked from the couch as their fifth starter last season, threw back-to-back pick-sixes as Cleveland got smoked in the Super Wild Card Round at Houston.
He’s not a long-term answer, but Deshaun Watson hasn’t looked the part either since he came in a trade — and was handed a "brainless contract" — after sexual harassment and misconduct allegations sidelined him for most of two seasons.
The Browns have a good defense and some weapons on offense, but they’ve yet to pass the “Show-Me” test to believe they’re true threats in the AFC.
DENVER BRONCOS
Location: Home and away
2023 record: 8-9, 3rd in AFC West
Chiefs regular-season record vs. (road record): 72-55
Analysis: The Broncos improved considerably under Sean Payton in his first season at altitude and even snapped an eight-year losing streak against the Chiefs.
But with the Russell Wilson era likely finished, it remains to be seen how another reset in Denver will pan out — and there’s still a significant gulf between the Ponies and Chiefs.
HOUSTON TEXANS
Location: GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium
2023 record: 10-7, won AFC South
Chiefs regular-season record vs. (home record): 7-5 (2-2)
Analysis: CJ Stroud emerged as a star in the making during an eye-popping rookie campaign, but now there’s a year’s worth of tape on DeMeco Ryans’ team and his young stud QB’s tendencies.
Stroud has the talent to make the Texans a mainstay among the AFC’s power brokers after reaching the Divisional Round together in year one.
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS
Location: Home and away
2023 record: 8-9, 2nd in AFC West
Chiefs regular-season record vs.: 71-54-2
Analysis: Antonio Pierce is the man in Las Vegas. Players loved the hire, but Chiefs fans should, too.
Maybe Pierce will buck the trend, but it’s not often that the beloved interim, who rallied the team to a spunky end-of-season finish, winds up being a Super Bowl-caliber coach.
The Raiders, who rankled at the Chiefs’ takeover of their home facilities for Super Bowl LVIII, have unanswered questions up and down the roster, but especially at QB.
Until that’s resolved, it’s hard to take them seriously as an AFC West threat if Mahomes is healthy.
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS
Location: Home and away
2023 record: 5-12, 4th in AFC West
Chiefs regular-season record vs. (home record): 69-57-1
Analysis: The Chargers are resetting under Justin Herbert, who is widely regarded as an elite quarterback but has a 30-32 record and one playoff debacle — the 2022 season’s spectacular Super Wild Card meltdown at Jacksonville — to show for it so far.
Salary-cap issues loom with an aging roster of key contributors, but Herbert and Jim Harbaugh, who won at every stop of his football-coaching journey, could conjure first-year magic.
Maybe next season really is the year that the perennial AFC West offseason champs end Kansas City's run of divisional dominance.
Of course, the Chiefs play in the Show-Me State, so Harbaugh and Herbert will have to prove it on the field.
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
Location: GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium
2023 record: 9-8, 2nd in NFC South
Chiefs regular-season record vs. (home record): 7-5 (2-3)
Analysis: The Chiefs are very familiar with Derek Carr. Any additional context needed?
PITTSBURGH STEELERS
Location: Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh
2023 record: 10-7, 3rd in AFC North
Chiefs regular-season record vs. (road record): 12-22 (4-12)
Analysis: Mike Tomlin’s team is always feisty and always in the playoff hunt.
The Steelers also don’t have a proven, quality quarterback on the roster, so it will remain an uphill slog for the offense.
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
Location: Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California
2023 record: 12-5, 1st in NFC West
Chiefs regular-season record vs. (road record): 7-7 (2-5)
Analysis: It’s a rematch of Super Bowl LVIII (and Super Bowl LIV).
For the second straight season, the Chiefs play the reigning NFC champions in a rematch of the big game.
Philadelphia nipped Kansas City in a midseason Monday Night Football battle in 2023 at Arrowhead and now it will be San Francisco seeking revenge.
The two teams also met in Super Bowl LIV and have remained among the top teams in the NFL ever since, but the Chiefs have won three championships in five seasons — with two at the expense of the 49ers.
San Francisco is loaded on both sides of the ball — Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, et al — so it's bound to be a dogfight in Santa Clara.
Of course, so is Kansas City. Get the popcorn — or brisket — prepped and ready.
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
Location: GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium
2023 record: 9-8, won NFC South
Chiefs regular-season record vs. (home record): 7-7 (4-4)
Analysis: The Bucs weathered the post-Tom Brady era quite, well thank you very much, with Baker Mayfield reinvigorating his career in the Sunshine State.
Tampa Bay reached the NFC Divisional Round, so it’ll be a hard-fought game. But Kansas City has had the regular-season edge in recent meetings.
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