When Does The 2019 NFL Regular Season Start? Packers, Bears Begin Week 1, Raiders End Schedule

The 2019 NFL preseason is well underway, but meaningful football games have yet to be played. That will change in a few weeks when the regular season begins with one of the sport’s greatest rivalries.

Week 1 of the 2019 NFL season starts Thursday, Sept. 5 at Soldier Field. The Chicago Bears host the Green Bay Packers at 8:20 p.m. EDT, nearly 65 hours before nearly half the league kicks off their new campaign.

Fourteen teams will play their season openers at 1 p.m. EDT Sunday, Sept. 8. The Buffalo Bills visit the New York Jets and the Philadelphia Eagles host the Washington Redskins in the only divisional matchups during the time slot. Other notable games include the Los Angeles Rams against the Carolina Panthers and the Atlanta Falcons against the Minnesota Vikings.

The late-afternoon games begin with the Indianapolis Colts visiting the Los Angeles Chargers and the Cincinnati Bengals taking on the Seattle Seahawks at 4:05 p.m. EDT. Six more teams, including the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys, start at 4:25 p.m. EDT.

“Sunday Night Football” debuts at 8:20 EDT when the New England Patriots host the Pittsburgh Steelers. Tom Brady will enter his 20th season with the defending Super Bowl champions.

Week 1 is the only time during the season that there are two games scheduled for “Monday Night Football.” The first contest starts at 7:10 p.m. EDT between the Houston Texans and New Orleans Saints. The Oakland Raiders host the Denver Broncos at 10:20 p.m. EDT, concluding the Week 1 schedule.

Only two games on the Week 1 schedule feature a matchup of teams that made last years playoffs.