Bengals could open season vs. Chiefs in 2024

Will the NFL decide to give fans a Patrick Mahomes vs. Joe Burrow showdown to kick off the 2024 season?

The Cincinnati Bengals are one of the eight possibilities the league could decide to go with now that the Kansas City Chiefs are Super Bowl champions and will open the season.

These are the eight teams the Chiefs host next year:

• Ravens
• Bengals
• Broncos
• Texans
• Raiders
• Chargers
• Saints
• Buccaneers

Of those, a rematch against Lamar Jackson and the Ravens would make some sense. So would putting Mahomes against C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans.

But there’s Burrow and the Bengals, too, given the history there. It’s one of the league’s best rivalries right now, so putting it as the very first game of the year certainly has some appeal.

If those in charge of the schedule get the sense Burrow will be a full-go by Week 1, this could be what happens.

Or, like in past years, they’ll shove it to the back of the schedule, knowing that both teams figure to be in the playoff mix again during the winter months.