Week 1 of the NFL season is finally here! Fans have had months to get excited about their team for the upcoming season, and now get the chance to finally see their teams in games that count. So excited, in fact, that some are shelling out some serious cash to be in the building for Week 1. Here’s a look at the five biggest games of Week 1 … and what some fans might pay to be inside the stadiums for the action.
1. Kansas City Chiefs at Arizona Cardinals
Highest ticket price: $24,089.00 (on SI Tickets)
For the first time in their careers, Kyler Murray and Patrick Mahomes will face off in this blockbuster Week 1 showdown in Glendale, Ariz. Murray, who is fresh off signing a massive five-year, $230.5 million extension this offseason, has plenty to prove this season after the Cardinals faded down the stretch in 2021, losing five of six to close the season after a promising 10–2 start.
Meanwhile, Mahomes has made strides as a leader this offseason as he begins his chase for a second Super Bowl ring. It’s the first season of Mahomes’s career that he won’t have speedster Tyreek Hill with him in Kansas City after Hill was dealt to the Dolphins this offseason. But Mahomes could have a new favorite target out wide with JuJu Smith-Schuster in tow, and Travis Kelce remains one of the NFL’s best weapons. This offense should still be tons of fun to watch, and we’ll see whether Murray and the Cards can match them Sunday afternoon.
2. Buffalo Bills at Los Angeles Rams
Highest ticket price: $18,200.00 (on SI Tickets)
Want to see the defending Super Bowl champs open the new season? It won’t be cheap. The Rams kick off the 2022 NFL season Thursday night against Josh Allen and the Bills in what could be the best game of a packed Week 1 slate. After some offseason questions, so many of the main faces from that Super Bowl team are back for another go-round in L.A., with Sean McVay returning as coach after pondering walking away and Aaron Donald doing the same after retirement rumors surfaced. Matthew Stafford will still be throwing the ball to Cooper Kupp, Donald will still be plugging the gaps up front on defense and McVay will still be the mastermind of the operation from the sidelines, and that makes the Rams a legitimate contender to repeat as champs.
Meanwhile, the Bills should be in contention in the AFC after nearly getting over the hump in back-to-back seasons. Last year’s heartbreaking OT loss to the Chiefs despite four TD passes from Allen should still leave a bitter taste in the team’s mouth, but there are very few holes on this roster and beating the defending champs on the road in Week 1 would make quite a statement.
3. New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons
Highest ticket price: $13,361.00 (on SI Tickets)
Rivalry games always have a little more meaning, and this divisional matchup has seen its share of drama over the years. These teams split their two meetings last season, including a November Falcons win that loomed large when the Saints barely missed the playoffs. But the rivalry takes on a different feel this year with the Matt Ryan era over in Atlanta. Ryan, who was traded to the Colts this offseason after 14 years and more than 200 starts leading the Falcons’ offense, was a staple in this rivalry, and seeing neither Ryan nor Drew Brees in a Falcons vs. Saints matchup does feel a bit strange.
Instead, we get a battle of the top two picks in the 2015 NFL draft: Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota. Mariota gets the nod at QB for the Falcons in the post-Ryan era, while Winston is back under center for New Orleans after suffering a season-ending injury midway through last season.
4. Las Vegas Raiders at Los Angeles Chargers
Highest ticket price: $7,494.00 (on SI Tickets)
Another hot ticket in L.A., this Sunday afternoon AFC West clash should be plenty of fun. There’s history between these teams, as the Raiders and Chargers played a win-or-go-home game last season in Week 18 won by Las Vegas in overtime. That loss sent star QB Justin Herbert and the Chargers home without a playoff berth, but the Chargers believe they’re more prepared to compete this season thanks to a bigger, more physical roster on both sides of the ball.
Meanwhile, the Josh McDaniels era in Las Vegas begins with this game. The longtime Patriots offensive coordinator has a veteran QB to work with in Derek Carr and other dangerous weapons like TE Darren Waller.
5. Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings
Fresh off a Super Bowl as the offensive coordinator of the Rams, Kevin O’Connell makes his head coaching debut in Minnesota in this matchup with their division rival Packers. With weapons like Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen to work with, O’Connell and QB Kirk Cousins have a chance to spark this Minnesota offense in a big way. They’ll need to against a Packers offense led by Aaron Rodgers at QB. This will be the first regular-season game for Rodgers without Davante Adams, who was dealt to the Raiders this season. Who will emerge as Rodgers’s top target in Adams’s place, and will it be enough to lead the Pack to a Week 1 road win?
