In a change to the NFL’s usual scheduling framework, the New England Patriots will begin their Super Bowl LIII title defense with a Sunday night game at Gillette Stadium.
The defending champion typically hosts the Thursday night kickoff game the following season, but the NFL opted to shake things up this year to celebrate the league’s 100th anniversary.
The Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers — two of the NFL’s oldest franchise — will occupy the Thursday night timeslot in Week 1, with the Patriots opening Sunday, Sept. 8 at home in primetime against an as-of-yet undisclosed opponent.
The NFL’s 100th season will kick off with @packers at @ChicagoBears on Thursday September 5th, 2019! #NFL100 pic.twitter.com/aGvs22AvNe
— NFL (@NFL) March 25, 2019
The list of potential opponents for the Patriots’ opener features a few intriguing possibilities, most notably Baker Mayfield, Odell Beckham Jr. and the revamped Cleveland Browns.
The Kansas City Chiefs also will visit Foxboro this season for a rematch of the 2018 AFC Championship Game, as will the Pittsburgh Steelers, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Buffalo Bills, New York Jets and Miami Dolphins.
The full 2019 NFL schedule will be released in April.
