Schedule opens with Super Bowl rematch

The 2016 NFL season will kick off with a Super Bowl 50 rematch between the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers on Septemer 8, in Denver.

The 17-week, 256-game regular-season schedule, which concludes on January 1, was released by the NFL on Thursday.

The Broncos-Panthers game is the first Super Bowl rematch on the opening weekend of the season since 1970 when the Kansas City Chiefs and the Minnesota Vikings met.

Also on the opening weekend schedule is a clash between conference championship game participants New England and Arizona on Sunday night, September 11.

The Patriots have not played the Cardinals on the road since 2004 and never at University of Phoenix Stadium, where New England has appeared twice in Super Bowls.

In Week 2, the Rams will play their first regular-season game in Los Angeles since moving back from St. Louis after last season, facing off against the Seattle Seahawks .

The Minnesota Vikings open their new US Bank Stadium in a Sunday night game during Week 2 against the Green Bay Packers. Minnesota is seeking back-to-back NFC North titles, which was last accomplished by the Vikings in 2008-09.

The annual Thanksgiving tripleheader on November 24, features the Vikings against the Detroit Lions in the opener, the Washington Redskins at the Dallas Cowboys and then the Indianapolis Colts playing host to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the nightcap.

The league’s three games in London will be the Jacksonville Jaguars against the Colts on October 2 at Wembley Stadium, the Rams against the New York Giants on October 23 at Twickenham Stadium, and the Cincinnati Bengals against the Redskins on October 30 at Wembley.

On November 21, the Oakland Raiders and the Houston Texans will travel to Mexico City for the first Monday night game to be played outside the United States.