The NFL returns for the 2023 season as Kickoff Weekend signals the start of a 272-game journey, one that promises hope for each of the league’s 32 teams as they set their sights on Super Bowl LVIII, which will be played on Sunday, February 11, 2024, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
For the 2023 NFL Kickoff Guide, click here. The sections include:
- Kickoff 2023
- Season Preview
- What To Look For
- Strengthening The Pipeline
- International NFL
- NFL & Social Responsibility
- Player Health & Safety
2022 was one of the most competitive seasons ever as the average final score margin of 9.70 points was the lowest for a full season since 1932 (9.13). The 2023 season will be filled with memorable moments, as young players emerge, familiar faces continue their climb up the record books and teams vie to make their mark in the postseason. Every team enters the season with hope and a trip to Las Vegas for Super Bowl LVIII in mind. Below are a few reasons why:
- Nineteen teams remained in Super Bowl contention on the final day of the 2023 regular season, the most such teams since 2006 (20).
- Four teams clinched a division title after not winning their division last year (Jacksonville, Minnesota, Philadelphia and San Francisco) and at least two teams have won their divisions the season after missing the playoffs in 19 of the past 20 years.
- Jacksonville clinched the AFC South after finishing in last place in the division in 2021 and in 18 of the past 20 seasons, at least one team finished in first place in their division the season after finishing in last or tied for last.
- Seven teams clinched playoff berths after missing the postseason in 2021 (Baltimore, Jacksonville, the Los Angeles Chargers, Miami, Minnesota, the New York Giants and Seattle) and since 1990 – a streak of 33 consecutive seasons – at least four teams have qualified for the playoffs in every season that were not in the postseason the year before.
- The Kansas City Chiefs won Super Bowl LVII and for an 18th consecutive season, the NFL had a new Super Bowl champion, extending the longest streak without a repeat winner in league history. Only eight teams have repeated as champions since the first Super Bowl in 1967, with the 2004 Patriots (Super Bowls XXXVIII and XXXIX) being the last team to accomplish the feat.
Among the many notable accomplishments players and coaches can achieve during the 2022 season:
- Kansas City quarterback PATRICK MAHOMES (24,241 passing yards and 192 touchdown passes) can surpass Peyton Manning (29,442 passing yards) and Dan Marino (220 touchdown passes) for the most in each category by a quarterback in his first seven seasons in NFL history.
- New York Jets quarterback AARON RODGERS, who enters 2023 with 59,055 passing yards and 475 touchdown passes, can continue to climb the all-time passer ranks. He can surpass Philip Rivers (63,440) for the sixth-most passing yards in NFL history and Brett Favre (508) for the fourth-most touchdown passes all-time.
- Tennessee running back DERRICK HENRY needs 10 rushing touchdowns to become the third running back all-time with at least 10 rushing touchdowns in six-or-more consecutive seasons.
- San Francisco running back CHRISTIAN MCCAFFREY can become the fourth running back in NFL history with at least four career seasons with at least 1,000 rushing yards and 500 receiving yards.
- Minnesota wide receiver JUSTIN JEFFERSON (324 receptions and 4,825 receiving yards) can become the third player with at least 400 receptions in his first four career seasons and can surpass Michael Thomas (5,512) for the most receiving yards by a player in his first four career seasons in NFL history.
- Las Vegas wide receiver DAVANTE ADAMS can join Marvin Harrison as the only players in NFL history with 100 receptions, 1,000 receiving yards and 10 touchdown receptions in four consecutive seasons.
- Tampa Bay wide receiver MIKE EVANS needs 1,000 receiving yards to join Jerry Rice (11 consecutive seasons from 1986-96) as the only players ever with at least 1,000 receiving yards in 10 consecutive seasons.
- Kansas City tight end TRAVIS KELCE (814 receptions and 10,334 receiving yards) can become the fourth tight end all-time with 900 receptions and fourth tight end ever with 11,000 receiving yards.
- San Francisco defensive lineman NICK BOSA can become the third player since 1982 with at least 15 sacks in three of his first five career seasons, joining J.J. Watt and Reggie White.
- Dallas linebacker MICAH PARSONS needs 13 sacks to become the second player since 1982 with at least 13 sacks in each of his first three seasons, joining Reggie White.
- New England head coach BILL BELICHICK ranks second all-time with 329 total victories (298 regular-season wins and a league-record 31 playoff victories) and needs two regular-season wins to join Don Shula (328 regular-season wins) and George Halas (318) as the only head coaches in NFL history with 300 career regular-season victories.
- Kansas City head coach ANDY REID ranks fifth all-time in both total wins (269) and regular-season wins (247) and can surpass Tom Landry (270 total wins, 250 regular-season wins) for fourth place on both lists, while becoming the fifth coach in league history to reach the 250-win milestone in the regular season.
- Pittsburgh head coach MIKE TOMLIN is the first head coach in NFL history to lead his team to a .500-or-better record in each of his first 16 career seasons and can surpass George Halas (16 consecutive seasons from 1933-51) for the third-longest such streak for a coach at any point in his career in NFL history.
2023 Kickoff Weekend schedule:
| DATE | GAME | TIME (ET) | TV |
| Thursday, September 7 | Detroit Lions at Kansas City Chiefs | 8:20p | NBC |
| Sunday, September 10 | Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons | 1:00p | FOX |
| Houston Texans at Baltimore Ravens | 1:00p | CBS | |
| Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns | 1:00p | CBS | |
| Jacksonville Jaguars at Indianapolis Colts | 1:00p | FOX | |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Minnesota Vikings | 1:00p | CBS | |
| Tennessee Titans at New Orleans Saints | 1:00p | CBS | |
| San Francisco 49ers at Pittsburgh Steelers | 1:00p | FOX | |
| Arizona Cardinals at Washington Commanders | 1:00p | FOX | |
| Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears | 4:25p | FOX | |
| Las Vegas Raiders at Denver Broncos | 4:25p | CBS | |
| Miami Dolphins at Los Angeles Chargers | 4:25p | CBS | |
| Philadelphia Eagles at New England Patriots | 4:25p | CBS | |
| Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks | 4:25p | FOX | |
| Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants | 8:20p | NBC | |
| Monday, September 11 | Buffalo Bills at New York Jets | 8:15p | ESPN/ABC |
