It’s been a long seven months since the Philadelphia Eagles dominated Super Bowl 59 in a 40-22 win over the two-time defending champion Kansas City Chiefs.
Free agency, the NFL draft and training camp can only fill the void so much. Don’t worry, football fans. We’re nearly there.
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Three weeks of preseason football (or four if you’re a member of the Detroit Lions or Los Angeles Chargers) have kept teams busy for the last month. Franchises across the league have made roster moves to fill gaps and shore up positions affected by injuries.
They’ll have to make final decisions to cut their rosters down to 53 players by Tuesday, Aug. 26. From there, all 32 teams will have a final week of preparation before the season begins.
Since 2004, the defending Super Bowl champions have hosted the opening game of the new season with two exceptions. Baltimore opened the season on the road in 2013 due to scheduling conflict with the Baltimore Orioles. In 2019, Chicago and Green Bay faced off to open the season instead of defending champion New England to celebrate 100 years of the NFL.
This year, the defending champion Eagles will host the first game of the regular season against NFC East foe Dallas.
Here’s everything to know about Week 1 of the NFL regular season:
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When does the NFL season start?
The NFL continues its tradition of starting the season on the Thursday after Labor Day this season with the Eagles and Cowboys facing off in Philadelphia on Sept. 4.
This will mark the 129th team these two teams have matched up in the regular season. Dallas holds the edge in all-time record at 71-55 but Philadelphia’s won four of the last six regular season games.
Week 1 NFL schedule, how to watch
Thursday, Sept. 4
Friday, Sept. 5
Sunday, Sept. 7
Monday, Sept. 8
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: When does the NFL season start? What to know about Week 1