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The Chiefs open the 2025 NFL season in opposition to the AFC West rival Chargers as Patrick Mahomes and firm look to start out bouncing again from final yr’s Tremendous Bowl humiliation.
It’s a battle of playoff groups from final season because the NFL returns to Area Corinthians in São Paolo, Brazil for the second straight yr. The stadium hosted a recreation between the Packers and Eagles in Week 1 of the 2024 season — and, sure, has beforehand hosted a live performance for Travis Kelce’s new fiancee Taylor Swift.
The enchantment of Jim Harbaugh is easy. Regardless of (or perhaps due to) his many quirks, the previous Chargers quarterback has gained all over the place he’s been as a head coach.
That features his first yr again with the franchise in 2024. Contemporary off main Michigan to a school soccer nationwide championship, Harbaugh circled a Chargers group that went 5-12 in 2023 and led the Chargers to an 11-6 document and playoff berth in his first yr as their head coach.
Now, with one other yr for Harbaugh and normal supervisor Joe Hortiz to reshape the roster of their imaginative and prescient, what do the Chargers have in retailer for 12 months 2?
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Operating again Najee Harris (eye) and security Elijah Molden (knee) have been each full contributors in apply Thursday and got here off the harm report.
Harris, the previous Pittsburgh Steeler who signed a one-year cope with the Chargers in March, injured his eye in a July 4 fireworks incident and sat out your complete preseason. He’s anticipated to separate reps with rookie Omarion Hampton, the Chargers’ first-round choose within the 2025 NFL Draft.
GO FURTHER
Chargers RB Najee Harris will play in opener in Brazil vs. Chiefs, Jim Harbaugh says
Whereas Travis Kelce nonetheless reeled in 97 catches on 133 targets throughout 16 video games final season, the veteran tight finish recorded the fewest receiving yards and touchdowns of his profession regardless of accidents to Rashee Rice and Hollywood Brown. Kelce appeared to lack explosiveness after the catch and couldn’t appear to shake free within the purple zone, an space of the sphere the place he’s made a dwelling in prior years.
Reports indicate that the 35-year-old has shed some weight and is motivated to turn out to be a pressure for the Chiefs as soon as once more, which is definitely potential within the early levels of the season, throughout Rashee Rice’s suspension.
After a stellar rookie season, Ladd McConkey flew up fantasy soccer draft boards this summer time and is projected to be a low-end WR1, high-end WR2 this season.
He displayed pristine route working and flexibility in his first season, which rapidly made him Justin Herbert’s favourite goal. Whereas Keenan Allen is again within the fold this season, McConkey stays the man in Los Angeles and may gain advantage from an offense that might be improved with the addition of rookie working again Omarion Hampton.
To refresh your reminiscence, as a rookie, McConkey caught 82 passes for 1,149 yards and 7 touchdowns final season, ending tied with Jerry Jeudy because the WR12 total in PPR scoring.
Operating again Omarion Hampton was extremely touted as a prospect popping out of North Carolina and entered the league with vital fantasy soccer hype, which solely elevated after touchdown in Greg Roman’s run-heavy scheme with the Los Angeles Chargers.
Whether or not it’s attributable to his elite expertise or Najee Harris’ eye harm, Hampton is the starter for Los Angeles in an offense that needs to be improved from final season. Harris is a serviceable, veteran again, however Hampton tasks to be a workhorse within the NFL and can probably be featured closely out of the gate.
What does that appear to be when it comes to fantasy manufacturing?
That's unclear in the meanwhile, but it surely’s onerous to think about him being something lower than an RB2 this season.
Through the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs’ ultimate six video games of the 2024 common season, Andy Reid made it some extent of emphasis to get wideout Xavier Worthy concerned early and sometimes, receiving 50 targets and averaging 15.4 PPR factors per recreation.
With Rashee Rice suspended and a transparent need for the Chiefs’ offense to be extra aggressive downfield, Worthy is primed to choose up the place he left off and can probably be a must-start participant in fantasy soccer lineups for the foreseeable future along with his skill to show any contact right into a landing.
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Travis Kelce’s life has been a whirlwind for some time now, but it surely has reached one other degree after he and music celebrity Taylor Swift introduced their engagement on the eve of his thirteenth NFL season with the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs.
Forward of Friday evening’s opener in opposition to the Los Angeles Chargers in Brazil, Kelce met the media on Thursday for the primary time because the engagement announcement. He was requested if it’s troublesome to focus with all that’s occurred in his life.
💬 “I acquired another ring from it — two if we’re counting the primary Tremendous Bowl (whereas relationship Taylor),” he mentioned, eliciting laughter. “Ever since I’ve been relationship Taylor, life has been enjoyable. It’s been thrilling. Clearly, much more eyes, and I settle for that. It’s simply … I’m dwelling life, dwelling on a excessive.”
Learn extra on Kelce's perspective on a wild offseason and the Chiefs season opener beneath.
GO FURTHER
Travis Kelce on Taylor Swift engagement, taking part in in Brazil and retirement ideas
Area Corinthians, situated in São Paulo, Brazil, capability 48,905. It’s owned, operated and primarily utilized by the soccer membership Corinthians, a heavyweight of the top-tier Brasileiro Série A league. Area Corinthians additionally hosted final yr’s Week 1 contest between the Inexperienced Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles, gained by the Eagles (the designated house group for the sport) 34-29. The slippery grass subject gained some controversy when Packers quarterback Jordan Love injured his calf on one of many recreation’s ultimate performs and missed the subsequent two weeks.
The Chargers are the designated house group tonight, but it surely gained’t essentially look that approach…
The NFL season is right here after final evening’s Cowboys-Eagles season opener.
Now the season will settle right into a rhythm, together with tonight’s showcase recreation that includes the Chiefs and Chargers in Brazil.
However there’s a lot extra happening within the sports activities world: The U.S. Open is wrapping up this weekend. The faculty soccer season is simply getting right into a rhythm. The Ryder Cup will probably be performed this month. Get protection of all of that and extra right here at The Athletic and subscribe here.
The Chiefs spent a number of time engaged on their deep passing recreation this offseason, in accordance with offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, after a career-low 10.7 % of Patrick Mahomes’ go makes an attempt went for 20 yards or extra. Mahomes may have extra time to throw because of 31 groups sleeping and letting sort out Josh Simmons fall to the Chiefs within the draft.
Kansas Metropolis will probably be lacking receiver Rashee Rice for six weeks, however Xavier Worthy and Hollywood Brown ought to make out simply positive in opposition to a Chargers protection that allowed a league-high 13 touchdowns on passes thrown 15-plus yards downfield final season, in accordance with TruMedia. The Chargers additionally sustained the largest preseason harm within the league with the lack of left sort out Rashawn Slater. The Chiefs bounce again from an unpleasant Tremendous Bowl and begin their march towards one other one.
The choose: Chiefs -3
Do you wish to share your predictions, evaluation or ideas on tonight’s large recreation? We’d love to listen to what you assume goes to occur, and you may proceed to ship us your ideas in the course of the recreation and after the end result is set.
Get entangled with our protection at dwell@theathletic.com.
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In a primary for the NFL, tonight’s Chiefs-Chargers recreation will probably be broadcast dwell without spending a dime on YouTube, which secured the rights to this recreation earlier this yr. Native broadcast TV choices may even be accessible within the Kansas Metropolis and Los Angeles markets.
The published will probably be dealt with by some acquainted faces from “NFL Community” — Wealthy Eisen (play-by-play), Kurt Warner (analyst) and Stacey Dales (sideline reporter). Standard YouTube persona Donald “Deestroying” De La Haye may even be working the sidelines.
Tonight’s NFL Brazil recreation between the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers is about to kick off at 8 p.m. ET, which is 9 p.m. native time in São Paolo, Brazil. That’s 7 p.m. CT in Kansas Metropolis and 5 p.m. PT in Los Angeles.
Hey NFL followers, and welcome to The Athletic’s dwell protection of the second recreation of the 2025 NFL season as we head right down to Brazil for the primary worldwide recreation of the yr.
The Kansas Metropolis Chiefs open their bid for Tremendous Bowl redemption in opposition to their AFC West rivals, the Los Angeles Chargers, in São Paolo, Brazil.
Each the Chiefs and Chargers are coming off robust seasons with depressing endings. Kansas Metropolis made its third straight Tremendous Bowl however acquired its three-peat probabilities wrecked by Philadelphia, whereas Los Angeles rapidly bowed out of the playoffs with a blowout loss to Houston within the wild-card spherical.
Tonight’s dwell protection has all of the storylines coated for you heading as much as kickoff in addition to updates, perception and evaluation from our group of NFL reporters each throughout and after tonight’s recreation, so preserve it proper right here all evening lengthy!
