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The defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs will host the Baltimore Ravens in the 2024 NFL Kickoff Game at Arrowhead Stadium on September 5 to open the 2024 NFL season, the league announced on Monday (May 13).
The game, which will feature the last two NFL regular season MVPs in Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson and Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who is also the reigning back-to-back Super Bowl MVP, will be a rematch of the AFC Championship Game in January won by Kansas City en route to its third Super Bowl victory in five years.
"Lamar vs. Mahomes to kick off the 2024 season," the NFL wrote in a post alongside a graphic of Jackson and Mahomes announcing the matchup.
The Chiefs defeated the Ravens, 17-10, in their AFC Championship Game matchup on January 26.
Mahomes threw for 241 yards and one touchdown on 30 of 39 passing. Tight end Travis Kelce recorded 11 receptions for 116 yards, which included the 19-yard touchdown from Mahomes on the Chiefs' opening drive.
Running back Isiah Pacheco provided Kansas City's second touchdown on a 2-yard run in the second quarter.
The Chiefs went on to defeat the San Francisco 49ers, 25-22, in an overtime win Super Bowl LVIII on February 11. Mahomes connected with wide receiver Mecole Hardman Jr. on a 3-yard pass with three seconds remaining in what would've been the first quarter of overtime, winning who the Super Bowl MVP for the third time in his career and finishing with 333 yards, two touchdowns and one interception on 34 of 47 passing.
The Chiefs and Ravens have played 13 total times in the regular season and postseason with the Kansas City holding an 8-5 all-time series advantage, as well as having won four of the last five matchups since 2018.