NFL 2024 key dates - London games, Super Bowl, Thanksgiving action

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs won their third Super Bowl in five years in February

The new NFL season kicks off this weekend with the Kansas City Chiefs looking to create history during the 2024 campaign.

In February the Chiefs won their third Super Bowl in five years and their second straight NFL title.

They became the first team to achieve that feat since the New England Patriots in the 2003 and 2004 seasons, but no team has won three Super Bowls in a row.

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce remain the key men for the Chiefs, who begin their quest for an unprecedented three-peat on Thursday (01:20 BST Friday).

They host the Baltimore Ravens, who had the regular season's best record last term, in a repeat of last year’s AFC Championship game - effectively one of the Super Bowl semi-finals.

When is the NFL season?

The season begins on the first full weekend of September and, as is tradition, the Super Bowl champions open the new season that Thursday.

The Chiefs host the Ravens on 5 September, and the opening weekend continues with the NFL's first game in Brazil on 6 September before a full programme on 8 September.

The regular season lasts 18 weeks, with each team playing 17 games, and ends on 5 January 2025. Then come the play-offs, culminating with the Super Bowl.

The Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers, who contested last season's Super Bowl, will meet on 20 October.

What are the NFL's Thanksgiving and Christmas Day games?

Football is a big part of the holidays in the US, and the Detroit Lions and the Dallas Cowboys have long since hosted games on Thanksgiving.

This year it falls on 28 November, and the Lions host the Chicago Bears before the Cowboys welcome the New York Giants.

The Thanksgiving triple-header will be rounded off by the Green Bay Packers hosting the Miami Dolphins.

Last season featured the NFL’s first game on Black Friday, and it returns this season, with the Las Vegas Raiders visiting divisional rivals Kansas City.

The Chiefs are also part of Christmas Day’s double-header as they visit the Pittsburgh Steelers before the Houston Texans host the Ravens.

Who is playing in the NFL London games?

There will be five international games across three countries during the season, including three in London:

• 6 September - Green Bay Packers v Philadelphia Eagles (Sao Paulo)

• 6 October - New York Jets v Minnesota Vikings (Tottenham, London)

• 13 October - Jacksonville Jaguars v Chicago Bears (Tottenham, London)

• 20 October - New England Patriots v Jacksonville Jaguars (Wembley, London)

• 10 November - New York Giants v Carolina Panthers (Munich)

Former Wales rugby star Louis Rees-Zammit could therefore return to the UK in October as he is now on the Jaguars' practice squad, after spending the summer training with the Chiefs, and can be promoted to the active roster up to three times during the season.

When is the Super Bowl?

The play-offs start on 11 January, with games played on three straight weekends to decide who will play in the Super Bowl.

Super Bowl 59 will take place on 9 February in New Orleans at the Superdome, which has hosted more Super Bowls than any other stadium (seven).

It will be the first time since 2013 that the game has been played in New Orleans and the 11th overall - a joint record with Miami.

What are the other big games of the NFL season?

Veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers suffered a season-ending injury only four plays into his New York Jets debut on the first Monday of last season.

The four-time MVP is set to kick-start his Jets career on the first Monday of the new season with a return to his native California to face the 49ers, the team he supported as a boy and who overlooked him when they had the first pick in the 2005 draft.

Rodgers’ move from the NFL’s smallest media market (Green Bay) to the largest (New York) meant the Jets earned six games on primetime TV slots last season.

They have six again, the joint highest with the Dallas Cowboys - known as America’s Team - and the 49ers.

Brothers John and Jim Harbaugh will meet as opposing coaches for the third time on 25 November, three days before Thanksgiving.

John remains in charge of the Ravens, while Jim has been appointed Los Angeles Chargers coach.

They contested the 2013 Super Bowl, with John’s Ravens beating Jim’s 49ers.

How to follow the NFL on the BBC

Listen to live commentary on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra and BBC Sounds every Sunday, starting with Dallas Cowboys v Cleveland Browns on 8 September.

There will also be live commentary of Super Bowl 59 on BBC Radio 5 Live.