By Rory Carroll
(Reuters) – Five storylines to watch when the NFL season kicks off on Thursday:
1 – Can the Chiefs three-peat as champions?
The Kansas City Chiefs begin their quest to become the first NFL team to win three consecutive Super Bowls against the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday.
The Chiefs captured a third championship in five years when they came from behind to beat the San Francisco 49ers in February’s Super Bowl.
With three-time Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes at the helm, the Chiefs are well-positioned to make history this season.
2 – Can the 49ers finally strike gold?
The 49ers pushed the defending champions to overtime in last season’s Super Bowl but ultimately suffered another crushing loss to the Chiefs, who also came from behind to beat them in the Super Bowl at the end of the 2019 season.
This season’s Niners will look a lot like last year’s squad after the team ultimately re-signed wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk and left tackle Trent Williams in the offseason.
With third-year quarterback Brock Purdy, reigning offensive player of the year Christian McCaffrey in the backfield, and a robust defense, anything less than a championship will feel like another disappointing season for San Francisco.
3 – Can Rodgers help Jets soar?
Aaron Rodgers played only four snaps for the New York Jets before suffering a torn Achilles last season and all eyes will be on the 40-year-old quarterback when he takes the field on Monday night against the 49ers.
Rodgers is expected to look often to receiver Garrett Wilson and will hope the highly-touted Jets defense can deliver as the four-time league MVP looks to end a Jets title drought that stretches back to 1969.
4 – Pressure is on for eight new head coaches
When a team does not live up to expectations, impatient team owners tend to take aim at their head coaches first.
So it was this offseason and as a result eight teams will have new head coaches pacing the sidelines and sweating every play in one of the most pressure-packed roles in the league.
Jim Harbaugh’s return to the NFL after leading the University of Michigan to a national title made the biggest splash of the offseason.
Harbaugh takes the reins of a Los Angeles Chargers squad eager to capitalize on the potential of quarterback Justin Herbert.
5 – NFL goes long with international outreach
The league this season will continue its mission to grow its fanbase around the world and will feature five international games, the first coming on Friday when the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers meet in Sao Paolo, Brazil for the NFL’s first-ever game in South America.
Three October games will be held in London followed by a November game in Munich.
The league will also ramp up its efforts to promote flag football overseas, seeing it is a low-cost entry point into the non-contact sport. Flag football will make its Olympic debut at the Los Angeles Games in 2028.
(Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
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