NFL schedule’s best grudge games
Nate Davis
bolted Big Blue after six turbulent years, he took the short trip down Interstate-95 to join the Giants’ most bitter rivals.
11. Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers, Aaron’s return (the other one).
Sorry, TV networks, but the Pack’s second-half surge in 2023 precluded a 2024 visit from Rodgers. However, free agency precipitated perhaps the nextbest thing after a March whirlwind of roughly 24 hours when Green Bay signed RB Josh Jacobs, then cut ties with Aaron Jones, a beloved mainstay for seven seasons, before he turned around and joined the NFC North rival Vikings for the 2024 campaign.
12. Atlanta Falcons at Minnesota Vikings, Captain Kirk’s return?
A month ago, this projected as one of the season’s better homecoming subplots – QB Kirk Cousins, after a half-dozen years as the Vikes’ starter, heading back to U.S. Bank Stadium with his Falcons in tow.
13. Pittsburgh Steelers at Denver Broncos, Russ’ return?
No guarantee that Russell Wilson will still be in Pittsburgh’s QB1 “pole position,” to use HC Mike Tomlin’s metaphor, whenever these teams meet.
14. Washington Commanders at Dallas Cowboys, Quinn comes back.
The NFC East could be extra spicy in 2024. These once bitter enemies have a chance to revive a fairly dormant rivalry after former Dallas DC Dan Quinn took the head job in D.C.
14a. Washington Commanders at Arizona Cardinals, Kliff comes back.
Quinn’s new offensive coordinator, Kliff Kingsbury, gets to go home, too and face a Cards organization that fired him in 2023.
15. Chicago Bears at Washington Commanders, Caleb vs. Jayden.
The top two picks of the 2024 draft, Bears QB Caleb Williams and Commanders QB Jayden Daniels, respectively, never met on a college field. But they will almost certainly gear up this season.
15a. Caleb Williams vs. the NFL’s next-gen QBs.
Daniels is far from the only fellow upand-comer Williams will see as a rookie. He’s set to meet fellow No. 1 picks Young, Kyler Murray (2019), and Trevor Lawrence (2021).
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