Panthers at Broncos Will Reportedly Kick Off NFL Season

Mere hours before the NFL schedule is officially released, the kickoff game to the 2016 season has reportedly been leaked. According to Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer, the conference champion Carolina Panthers will get first crack at the defending Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos in a rematch of February’s one-sided affair.

The move comes as somewhat of a surprise, considering such high-profile affairs are usually left on ice until later in the season, most likely to maximise ratings on any given week. The way the league sees it, any clash featuring the defending champions at home – essentially an NFL tradition at this point – is guaranteed to pull in the viewers, while other mouth-watering matchups such as playoff rematches or divisional bloodbaths are best saved until later.

Instead, opening night usually pits the champs against another perceived top-tier team (such as Pittsburgh at New England last year, or Green Bay at Seattle the year before), or a team on the rise with whom the champs share some history.

With that in mind, the smart money had Houston visiting Denver in week one, given the monstrous deal the Texans made for Denver backup Brock Osweiler. Osweiler navigated the Broncos through a challenging stretch last season, ultimately helping to secure the AFC’s top seed before Peyton Manning finished the job.

But a long-term contract never materialised. Brock took the money and ran to Houston, where he will no doubt have revenge on his mind when he finally meets his former team.

Now, it will be Cam Newton and the Panthers who will aim to exorcise some demons against the defense that made Superman himself look mortal. Will Von Miller pick up where he left off with kryptonite spear in hand, or will Carolina taste just a tiny bit of retribution on their long pilgrimage back to the NFL’s holy grail? We’ll find out on September 8.