The 2020 season is far from over for the Chiefs but the club now knows who its opponents are for the 2021 season with the conclusion of the NFL’s regular season.
The Chiefs will face six returning playoff teams, with the slate including Arrowhead Stadium visits by Buffalo, Pittsburgh and Dallas along with road trips to Baltimore and Washington as well as a return to Philadelphia for head coach Andy Reid.
The NFL scheduling formula provides for teams each season to face opponents from one division in their own conference and one division in the opposite conference on a rotating basis along with home-and-home games against divisional opponents and three intraconference games based on the previous season’s standings. The Chiefs will face teams in the AFC North and NFC East in 2021.
Home opponents for the Chiefs: Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Chargers, New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers
Road opponents for the Chiefs: Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Denver Broncos, Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles, Tennessee and Washington Football Team
There remains a possibility the NFL will add a 17th game to the schedule for next season. The new collective bargaining agreement between league owners and the NFL Players Association allows for an additional game as early as 2021. Owners are expected to make a final decision on a 17th game later this month.
If the league adds an additional game, the Chiefs expect to face an NFC opponent who won its division other than the NFC East. That would make the additional game against either Green Bay, New Orleans or Seattle.
The complete NFL schedule including times and dates is normally released in April.
