Defending champions the Kansas City Chiefs will host the Detroit Lions in the NFL season opener on Thursday, 7 September.

The Patriots will honour Tom Brady, who retired in February, at that game.

The opening weekend closes with Aaron Rodgers’ first game for the New York Jets coming at home to Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills on Monday 11th.

Rodgers, who was named the NFL’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) four times before ending his 18-year association with the Green Bay Packers, is set to face the Chiefs and last season’s MVP Patrick Mahomes in week four – the Jets’ first Sunday night game since 2011.

Kansas City then have a Super Bowl rematch at home to the Eagles in week 11, and there will also be a repeat of the past two AFC Championship games in week 17 as the Chiefs host the Cincinnati Bengals.

The reigning champions will also be playing in Europe for the first time since 2015. The NFL confirmed the teams and dates for 2023’s five international games earlier this week.

Patriots owner Robert Kraft said before the full schedule release on Thursday that he had invited record seven-time Super Bowl winner Brady back to Foxborough for New England’s opener.

The former quarterback, 45, won his first six Super Bowl rings during his 20 years with the Patriots, before winning another in the first of three seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Kraft called Brady “the greatest player in the history of the game”, adding that “he’s very excited to come back and see our fans”.

“It will be the beginning of many celebrations to honour Tom and say ‘thank you’ for what he did for us,” said Kraft.

There will again be three games played on both the US holiday of Thanksgiving, 23 November, and on Christmas Day, with the San Francisco 49ers playing on both.

They are away to the Seattle Seahawks and then at home to the Baltimore Ravens, while the Chiefs host the Las Vegas Raiders on Christmas Day.

Another interesting match-up sees the 49ers visit the Eagles in a repeat of last season’s NFC Championship game in week 13 while the top two draft picks are set to go head to head in week eight as Bryce Young’s Carolina Panthers host CJ Stroud’s Houston Texans.

The regular season ends on 7 January 2024, followed by three rounds of play-off games to decide who will play in Super Bowl 58 in Las Vegas on 11 February.