Quarterback Tom Brady's bid to bring the glory days back to Tampa Bay will be given a stiff test in Week One of the new NFL season when the Buccaneers travel to New Orleans to face Drew Brees and the Saints on 13 September.
The NFL, which outlined criteria on Wednesday for teams to begin reopening facilities amid the ongoing coronavirus crisis, released the 256-game 2020 regular season schedule at midnight.
Super Bowl champions the Kansas City Chiefs will host the Houston Texans on Thursday Night Football on 10 September to kick off the new season. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes rallied the Chiefs past the Texans in the AFC divisional round playoffs last season.
The Los Angeles Rams will show off their new, multi-billion dollar stadium in Inglewood on the season's first Sunday night game on 13 September when they take on the Dallas Cowboys.
The Raiders, who left Oakland after 25 seasons for Las Vegas this year, will unveil their new stadium in Week 2 when they battle the Saints on Monday Night Football.
The conference championships will be held on 24 January and Super Bowl LV will take place in Tampa Bay on 7 February.
Brady’s decision to leave New England, where he spent 20 seasons and won six Super Bowls, for the Bucs was the biggest story of the offseason. Tampa Bay’s only Super Bowl win came in the 2002 season and they last reached the playoffs in 2007.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell promised the league would follow safety protocols and heed medical advice, and was "prepared to address contingencies as they arise".
While other major sports leagues, including the National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball, have shut down due to Covid-19, the NFL has been able to buy time before making any major decisions as its season ended in early February.
So far the NFL's main concession to the coronavirus is its rescheduling to the US of its five planned international games - four from London and one from Mexico City.
