New Sofi Stadium in Los Angeles will host Sunday Night Football as Rams meet Cowboys, while Tom Brady's Tampa Bay Buccaneers will travel to New Orleans in a mouthwatering Week One
Sunday 10 May 2020 12:09, UK
The 2020 NFL season is set to begin on September 10 when two of the NFL's most talented quarterbacks, Patrick Mahomes and DeShaun Watson meet as defending Super Bowl champions the Kansas City Chiefs face the Houston Texans.
A 17-week season for the NFL has been announced but it is unclear if the opening fixture will happen on the scheduled date due to the coronavirus pandemic.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said: "The release of the NFL schedule is something our fans eagerly anticipate every year, as they look forward with hope and optimism to the season ahead.
"In preparing to play the season as scheduled, we will continue to make our decisions based on the latest medical and public health advice, in compliance with government regulations, and with appropriate safety protocols to protect the health of our fans, players, club and league personnel, and our communities.
"We will be prepared to make adjustments as necessary, as we have during this off-season in safely and efficiently conducting key activities as as free agency, the virtual off-season program, and the 2020 NFL Draft."
With the International Series of games, four in London and one in Mexico, postponed, the whole season will be played out in the United States, and teams have already begun a virtual off season programme and earlier this week outlined the protocol for re-opening team facilities.
Thursday Night hosts the start of the new season and it is a clash of two players who have electrified the league since they were both picked up in the 2017 Draft.
Mahomes, the Chiefs signal caller, still just 24, sat out almost his entire first season behind Alex Smith but since has led the team, picking up the MVP award in 2018 and then, memorably in February, helping them win their first Super Bowl in 50 years.
Watson has suffered his fair share of injuries, with his first season curtailed by a knee injury, but has shown sustained flashes of brilliance, usually with wide-receiver DeAndre Hopkins at his side - but the latter has been shipped to Arizona during the off-season.
Having beaten the Chiefs in the regular season, Watson and the Texans faced off in a memorable play-off encounter at Arrowhead Stadium in January. Trailing 24-0, the Chiefs and Mahomes put on a spellbinding display to win 51-31 and go on to hoist the Lombardi Trophy in Miami in February.
Amongst the other highlights for the opening week including the first ever meeting between quarterbacks aged 40+ - two of the best of all-time meet when Tom Brady, away from Bill Belichick and the Patriots for the first time, and his Tampa Bay Buccaneers visit Drew Brees' New Orleans Saints in a high-octane NFL South showdown.
While the Patriots have a divisional match that will bring back sour memories, they face AFC East rivals Miami Dolphins at Gillette Stadium - a defeat to the Dolphins in Week 17 cost them a first-round bye in last season's play-offs.
Two of the newest quarterback in the league will also meet on opening weekend as Cincinnati and their No 1 overall pick Joe Burrow, fresh from the best season in college football, host the LA Chargers, who could have the sixth overall pick, Justin Herbert under centre.
The opening of SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles area on the first Sunday Night has the Rams hosting the Cowboys while the traditional Monday night doubleheader on opening weekend will have Pittsburgh at the New York Giants and Tennessee at Denver.
