For two decades, the defending Super Bowl champion has kicked off the following NFL season, with the game typically taking place on Thursday night. Since 2004, with two exceptions, the team that last hoisted the Lombardi had a home game to begin the next season and celebrate their recent championship.
In 2013, the defending champion Baltimore Ravens' first game was on the road due to a scheduling conflict with the city's MLB team, the Orioles. In 2019, the New England Patriots did not play in the NFL Kickoff Game despite being defending champs. Instead, the league scheduled the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers to begin the season for the league's 100th season.
Since the Kickoff Game began in 2004, the home team has won all but six times.
Winning the first game after winning the Super Bowl is one thing, but winning it all again is not something easily done. In NFL history, just nine teams have won back-to-back Super Bowls. The most recent team to win it back-to-back? The current defending champion Chiefs, who won it all in 2022 and 2023. No team has ever won three consecutive Super Bowls; K.C. is trying to change that this season.
Here is a look at how each Super Bowl champion did the following year:
| SB-winning season | Super Bowl champion | Next season's Week 1 opponent | Next season's Week 1 result | Next season's final record (finish) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
2004 | Raiders (2005) | Win | 10-6 (lost in divisional round) | |
2005 | Dolphins (2006) | Win | 8-8 (missed playoffs) | |
2006 | Saints (2007) | Win | 13-3 (lost in divisional round) | |
2007 | Washington (2008) | Win | 12-4 (lost in divisional round) | |
2008 | Steelers | Titans (2009) | Win | 9-7 (missed playoffs) |
2009 | Vikings (2010) | Win | 11-5 (lost in wild card round) | |
2010 | Saints (2011) | Win | 15-1 (lost in divisional round) | |
2011 | Giants | Cowboys (2012) | Loss | 9-7 (missed playoffs) |
2012 | Broncos (2013) | Loss | 8-8 (missed playoffs) | |
2013 | Packers (2014) | Win | 12-4 (lost Super Bowl) | |
2014 | Patriots | Steelers (2015) | Win | 12-4 (lost AFC Championship) |
2015 | Panthers (2016) | Win | 9-7 (missed playoffs) | |
2016 | Patriots | Chiefs (2017) | Loss | 13-3 (lost Super Bowl) |
2017 | Falcons (2018) | Win | 9-7 (lost in wild card round) | |
2018 | Patriots | Steelers (2019) | Win | 12-4 (lost in wild card round) |
2019 | Chiefs | Texans (2020) | Win | 14-2 (lost Super Bowl) |
2020 | Cowboys (2021) | Win | 13-4 (lost in divisional round) | |
2021 | Bills (2022) | Loss | 5-12 (missed playoffs) | |
2022 | Chiefs | Lions (2023) | Loss | 11-6 (won Super Bowl) |
| 2023 | Chiefs | Ravens (2024) | TBD | TBD |
The 2024 NFL season kicks off Thursday, Sept. 5 when the champion Chiefs host the Ravens in an AFC title game rematch.
