Kansas City Chiefs 2024 Schedule Released: A Game-by-Game Preview and Prediction

The Kansas City Chiefs‘ 2024 schedule was released along with the rest of the NFL slate, setting the stage for an interesting year for the reigning back-to-back champions. The Chiefs are set to play every day of the week except for Tuesday in 2024, and they begin the year with two high-profile showdowns with two of their biggest AFC foes.

Head coach Andy Reid is famously excellent with extra time to prepare, and last year’s Week 1 loss to the Detroit Lions (without tight end Travis Kelce and defensive lineman Chris Jones) shouldn’t undercut that reputation. In an AFC Championship Game rematch, I’ll pick KC to reign victorious again, even with a new group of wide receivers likely having to carry the workload against a new-look Ravens defense.

These first two matchups will define the first half of the season for all three teams involved, shaping the AFC playoff race and the narratives for the trio of AFC contenders. With a healthy Joe Burrow returning, can the Bengals prove they deserve to return to that conversation? In this game, the Chiefs get the benefit of a mini-bye after their Thursday season-opener, but it’s a brutal first two weeks for KC. I’ll take the Chiefs to win both of these games individually, but a 1-1 start wouldn’t be surprising.

These aren’t last year’s Falcons! With Kirk Cousins at quarterback, Atlanta’s array of weapons becomes scary, but the Chiefs still hold an advantage on both sides of the ball. Kansas City may have to win a shootout if the Falcons come out firing, but they should start their NFC slate with a win.

The Chargers seem to have the head coach/quarterback combo figured out with Jim Harbaugh and Justin Herbert, but is the rest of the roster ready to contend? I don’t think so, though the AFC West usually delivers a surprise or two.