Top 7 Revenge Games to Circle on Your 2024 Calendar

The 2024 NFL schedule was officially released on Wednesday night.

After a busy offseason of movement, there are tons of revenge games to look forward to this year.

More news: NFL Schedule Release: Every Primetime and Holiday Game For the 2024 Season

So, we at Newsweek Sports thought it would be fun to pick the best games to make sure you have them circled on your calendar this season. Let’s jump right in.

7. Week 12: Baltimore Ravens at Los Angeles Chargers (Nov. 25)

There isn’t a lot of “revenge” in this game, but how could a battle of brothers not make the list?

John Harbaugh, longtime head coach of the Ravens, gets to go up against his brother, Jim, who signed a five-year, $80 million contract with the Chargers this offseason.

John is currently 3-0 against Jim in his NFL coaching career, including a Super Bowl win. Jim will definitely want to finally get his revenge with his new team.

6. Week 14: Atlanta Falcons at Minnesota Vikings (Dec. 8, 2024)

Former Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins signed a four-year, $180 million deal to join the Falcons this offseason. There isn’t any known bad blood between the two sides, but Cousins will absolutely want to prove to Minnesota that they made a mistake in not re-signing him, and electing to build around rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy.

Cousins spent the last six seasons in Minnesota, throwing for 23,265 yards and 171 touchdowns to 55 interceptions. He made three Pro Bowls and went 50-37-1 during his tenure.

5. Week 2: Pittsburgh Steelers at Denver Broncos (Sept. 15, 2024)

The Russell Wilson era in Denver was one of the biggest disappointments in NFL history. Wilson, who signed a five-year, $242.6 million deal with the Broncos in 2022, was released in March, just two years into the deal. The Broncos ate $85 million in dead cap space to move on from Wilson.

A week later, Wilson found his next home with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He signed for the veteran’s minimum at $1.2 million, and will compete for the starting job with Justin Fields, whom the team acquired in a trade a week later.

Wilson will now get a chance to show the Broncos what they gave up on in his first year in Pittsburgh, assuming he’s the starter. Wilson actually had a really good 2023 season, throwing for 3,070 yards and 26 touchdowns to just eight interceptions. However, he was benched for the final two games of the season so the Broncos could ensure he didn’t get hurt — if he did, they would have had to pay him $37 million due to an injury guarantee in his contract.

4. Week 7: Kansas City Chiefs at San Francisco 49ers (Oct. 20, 2024)

The lone game on this list that doesn’t have to do with specific people, a Super Bowl rematch is the ultimate opportunity for revenge.

The 49ers lost to the Chiefs in February’s Super Bowl in heartbreaking 25-22 fashion in overtime. They also lost to the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV in 2020, 31-20.

It would mean a lot for the 49ers to take down Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs — especially because the teams could very well meet each other again in New Orleans for Super Bowl LIX.

3. Week 1: Los Angeles Rams at Detroit Lions (Sept. 8, 2024)

This game is overflowing with storylines, so it makes sense why the league chose to have it kick off the Sunday Night Football schedule.

The Rams and Lions met in last year’s Wild Card round, which turned out to be arguably the best game of the postseason. The Lions eked out a 24-23 win, as Detroit won its first postseason game in 32 years.

That’s the first storyline.

Then, there’s the quarterbacks.

Matthew Stafford and Jared Goff were involved in what turned out to be one of the most consequential quarterback trades in NFL history. Stafford, who spent the first 12 years of his career in Detroit after they drafted him No. 1 overall in 2009, was traded to Los Angeles for Goff and a host of picks. Goff, who spent the first five years of his career in Los Angeles after they drafted him No. 1 overall in 2016, was seen as more of an afterthought in the deal.

Stafford went on to win the Super Bowl with the Rams in 2022, while Goff just became the second-highest paid quarterback in NFL history after helping turn the Lions into contenders for the first time in seemingly forever. While Stafford is entering the twilight of his career, Goff is entering his prime.

If this game is anything like the Wild Card matchup, it could be an early contender for game of the year.

2. Week 7: Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants (Oct. 20, 2024)

As division rivals, the Giants and Eagles will meet twice this season. But the first game — running back Saquon Barkley’s return to New York — will be must-see television.

Barkley, the Giants’ No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, left New York to sign a three-year, $37.5 million deal with the division-rival Eagles in free agency.

Barkley was instantly called a “traitor” by New York fans, and even got booed by Knicks fans in Philadelphia when he was shown on a video board during their playoff series against the 76ers.

Barkley then tweeted, “It’s been two months… lol no way ya can still be this mad!”

Then, when a fan responded, “You bailed. On New York. Sow the wind, reap the whirlwind,” Barkley had this to say: “Let me educate some of you fans here… I can’t bail or become a traitor if I never got an offer to come back.. so I went to the organization I felt that was the best and after already being here for a month man I’m excited to be a eagle ! Go birds.”

The revenge game will take place about seven months after he signed. The boos will be louder than ever.

1. Week 5: Buffallo Bills at Houston Texans (Oct. 6, 2024)

For just the second time in their careers (and, of course, the first time since the offseason trade), wide receiver Stefon Diggs will face quarterback Josh Allen

There was zero drama between the two players when they last faced off in 2018, well before Diggs and Allen became one of the league’s best duos with the Bills.

Now, Diggs will be facing his old Buffalo teammates as a member of the Texans after he was traded this offseason, in what should be a playoff-like environment in Houston.

Right before Diggs was traded, he responded to a fan on Twitter/X saying the All-Pro wide receiver wasn’t essential to Allen’s success.

“You sure ?” Diggs wrote.

I guess we’ll find out this season.