2017 NFL season - wikipedia 2017 NFL season This article is about the American football season in the United States. For the Gaelic football season in Ireland, see 2017 National Football League ( Ireland ). 2017 National Football League season Regular season Duration September 7, 2017 ( 2017 - 09 - 07 ) -- December 31, 2017 ( 2017 - 12 - 31 ) Playoffs Start date January 6, 2018 Super Bowl LII Date February 4, 2018 Site U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota Pro Bowl Date January 28, 2018 Site Camping World Stadium, Orlando, Florida ← 2016 NFL seasons The 2017 NFL season is the 98th and current season in the history of the National Football League ( NFL ). The season began on September 7, 2017, with the Kansas City Chiefs defeating the defending Super Bowl LI champion New England Patriots 42 -- 27 in the NFL Kickoff Game. The season will conclude with Super Bowl LII, the league 's championship game, on February 4, 2018, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. For the second consecutive year, a team relocated to the Los Angeles metropolitan area, as the former San Diego Chargers announced their intent to relocate to the city in January 2017. Contents 1 Player movements and retirements 1.1 Free agency 1.2 Trades 1.3 Notable retirements 1.4 Draft 2 Preseason 3 Regular season 4 In - season scheduling changes 5 Regular season standings 5.1 Division 5.2 Conference 6 Anthem protests 7 Notable deaths 7.1 Dan Rooney 7.2 Others 8 Rule changes 9 Records, milestones, and notable statistics 10 Awards 10.1 Players of the week / month 11 Head coaching and front office personnel changes 11.1 Head coaches 11.1. 1 Offseason 11.2 Front office personnel 11.2. 1 Offseason 12 Stadiums 12.1 Atlanta Falcons 12.2 Naming rights 12.2. 1 Arizona Cardinals 12.2. 2 Denver Broncos 12.3 Relocations 12.3. 1 San Diego Chargers ' relocation to Los Angeles 12.3. 2 Oakland Raiders ' relocation to Las Vegas 12.4 Attendance 13 New uniforms and patches 14 Media 14.1 Broadcast rights 14.2 Commercials 14.3 Personnel changes 15 Television viewers and ratings 15.1 Most watched regular season games 16 References Player movements and retirements The 2017 NFL League year began on March 9 at 4 : 00 p.m. EST. On March 7, clubs were allowed to contact and enter into contract negotiations with the agents of players who became unrestricted free agents upon the expiration of their contracts two days later. On March 9, clubs exercised options for 2017 on players who have option clauses in their contracts, submitted qualifying offers to their restricted free agents with expiring contracts and to whom desire to retain a Right of Refusal / Compensation, submitted a Minimum Salary Tender to retain exclusive negotiating rights to their players with expiring 2016 contracts and who have fewer than three accrued seasons of free agent credit, and teams were required to be under the salary cap using the `` Top - 51 '' definition ( in which the 51 highest paid - players on the team 's payroll must have a collected salary cap hit below the actual cap ). The 2017 trading period also began the same day. Free agency A total of 496 players were eligible for some form of free agency at the beginning of the free agency period. Among the high - profile players who changed teams via free agency were cornerbacks A.J. Bouye ( from Texans to Jaguars ), Logan Ryan ( from Patriots to Titans ), and Stephon Gilmore ( from Bills to Patriots ) ; safeties Barry Church ( from Cowboys to Jaguars ), Johnathan Cyprien ( from Jaguars to Titans ), Micah Hyde ( from Packers to Bills ), and Tony Jefferson ( from Cardinals to Ravens ) ; linebackers Jabaal Sheard ( from Patriots to Colts ), Malcolm Smith ( from Raiders to 49ers ), and Manti Te'o ( from Chargers to Saints ) ; defensive tackles Johnathan Hankins ( from Giants to Colts ) and Calais Campbell ( from Cardinals to Jaguars ) ; offensive tackles Andrew Whitworth ( from Bengals to Rams ), Kelvin Beachum ( from Jaguars to Jets ), Matt Kalil ( from Vikings to Panthers ), Mike Remmers ( from Panthers to Vikings ), Ricky Wagner ( from Ravens to Lions ), Riley Reiff ( from Lions to Vikings ), and Russell Okung ( from Broncos to Chargers ) ; offensive guards Kevin Zeitler ( from Bengals to Browns ), Larry Warford ( from Lions to Saints ), Ronald Leary ( from Cowboys to Broncos ), and T.J. Lang ( from Packers to Lions ) ; tight ends Martellus Bennett ( from Patriots to Packers ) and Jared Cook ( from Packers to Raiders ) ; wide receivers Alshon Jeffery ( from Bears to Eagles ), Brandon Marshall ( from Jets to Giants ), DeSean Jackson ( from Redskins to Buccaneers ), Kenny Britt ( from Rams to Browns ), Pierre Garçon ( from Redskins to 49ers ), Robert Woods ( from Bills to Rams ), Terrelle Pryor ( from Browns to Redskins ), and Torrey Smith ( from 49ers to Eagles ) ; running backs Latavius Murray ( from Raiders to Vikings ), Adrian Peterson ( from Vikings to Saints ), Eddie Lacy ( from Packers to Seahawks ), and Jamaal Charles ( from Chiefs to Broncos ) ; fullbacks Mike Tolbert ( from Panthers to Bills ) and Patrick DiMarco ( from Falcons to Bills ) ; quarterback Mike Glennon ( from Buccaneers to Bears ). Trades On March 9, the Jacksonville Jaguars traded tight end Julius Thomas to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for a 2017 seventh - round draft pick. On March 9, the Miami Dolphins traded offensive tackle Branden Albert to the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for a 2018 seventh - round draft pick. On March 9, the Houston Texans traded quarterback Brock Osweiler, a 2018 second - round draft pick and a 2017 sixth - round draft pick to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for a 2017 fourth - round compensatory draft pick. On March 9, the Indianapolis Colts traded tight end Dwayne Allen and a 2017 sixth - round draft pick to the New England Patriots in exchange for a 2017 fourth - round draft pick. On March 9, the Los Angeles Rams traded defensive end William Hayes along with a 2017 seventh - round draft pick to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for a 2017 sixth - round draft pick. On March 10, the New Orleans Saints traded wide receiver Brandin Cooks and a 4th round draft pick to the New England Patriots in exchange for a 1st and 3rd round draft pick. On March 10, the Carolina Panthers traded defensive end Kony Ealy and a 2017 third - round draft pick to the New England Patriots in exchange for a 2017 second - round draft pick. On March 15, the Baltimore Ravens traded center Jeremy Zuttah and a 2017 sixth - round draft pick to the San Francisco 49ers for their 2017 sixth - round draft pick. On April 4, the Baltimore Ravens traded defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan and a 2017 third - round draft pick to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a 2017 third - round draft pick. On April 26, the Seattle Seahawks traded the contract rights of previously retired running back Marshawn Lynch and a 2018 sixth - round draft pick to the Oakland Raiders for a 2018 fifth - round draft pick. On August 11, the Buffalo Bills traded wide receiver Sammy Watkins and a 2018 sixth - round draft pick to the Los Angeles Rams for cornerback E.J. Gaines and a 2018 second - round draft pick. That same day, the Bills traded cornerback Ronald Darby to the Philadelphia Eagles for wide receiver Jordan Matthews and a 2018 third - round draft pick. Notable retirements This section may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia 's quality standards. The specific problem is : Expand on some more notable players by adding details about their retirement. ( September 2017 ) Anquan Boldin Josh Cribbs King Dunlap Brandon Flowers Justin Forsett Doug Free Chad Greenway Percy Harvin A.J. Hawk Andre Johnson James Jones Terrance Knighton James Laurinaitis Jake Long Robert Mathis Pat McAfee Lance Moore Rob Ninkovich Jerraud Powers Tony Romo Steve Smith, Sr. Stephen Tulloch John Urschel Michael Vick DeMarcus Ware Roddy White Vince Wilfork At one point, Jay Cutler had also announced retirement, but later rescinded and signed with the Miami Dolphins. Cutler previously played for the Chicago Bears. Draft For more details on this topic, see 2017 NFL draft. The 2017 NFL Draft was held on April 27 -- 29, 2017 in Philadelphia. The Cleveland Browns selected Myles Garrett with the first overall pick. Preseason Training camps for the 2017 season were held in late July through August. Teams started training camp no earlier than 15 days before the team 's first scheduled preseason game. Prior to the start of the regular season, each team played four preseason exhibition games, beginning on August 10. The preseason began on the evening of August 3 with the 2017 Pro Football Hall of Fame Game, that featured the Dallas Cowboys ( represented in the 2017 Hall of Fame Class by owner Jerry Jones ) who hosted Arizona Cardinals ( represented by former quarterback Kurt Warner ). It was televised nationally on NBC. The 64 - game preseason schedule ended on August 31 ; a 65th game, that of the 2017 Texas Governor 's Cup, was canceled due to the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. Regular season The 2017 regular season 's 256 games will be played over a 17 - week schedule which began on September 7. Each of the league 's 32 teams plays a 16 - game schedule, with one bye week for each team. The slate also features games on Monday nights. There are games played on Thursday, including the National Football League Kickoff game in prime time on September 7 and games on Thanksgiving Day. The regular season will conclude with a full slate of 16 games on Sunday, December 31, all of which will be intra -- division matchups, as it has been since 2010. Scheduling formula Under the NFL 's current scheduling formula, each team plays the other three teams in its own division twice. In addition a team plays against all four teams in one other division from each conference. The final two games on a team 's schedule are against the two teams in the team 's own conference in the divisions the team was not set to play which finished the previous season in the same rank in their division ( e.g. the team which finished first in its division the previous season would play each other team in its conference that also finished first in its respective division ). The preset division pairings for 2017 will be as follows. Intra-conference AFC East vs AFC West AFC North vs AFC South NFC East vs NFC West NFC North vs NFC South Inter-conference AFC East vs NFC South AFC North vs NFC North AFC South vs NFC West AFC West vs NFC East Highlights of the 2017 schedule include : NFL Kickoff Game : The Super Bowl LI champion New England Patriots hosted the Kansas City Chiefs in a primetime NFL Kickoff Game on September 7, 2017, with the Chiefs winning 42 -- 27. NFL International Series : For the 2017 season, the International Series underwent a split in branding, with each country 's games receiving their own brand. NFL London Games : Four games were played in London in 2017. The Jacksonville Jaguars hosted the Baltimore Ravens at Wembley Stadium on September 24, and the Miami Dolphins hosted the New Orleans Saints at the same venue a week later. The Los Angeles Rams hosted the Arizona Cardinals at Twickenham Stadium on October 22, and the Cleveland Browns hosted the Minnesota Vikings at the same venue a week later. NFL Mexico Game : The Oakland Raiders will host the New England Patriots at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, making this the second consecutive year in which the Raiders will host one of their home games in Mexico City ; the game will be played on November 19, with a kickoff time of 4 : 25 p.m. EST. Thanksgiving Day : As has been the case since 2006, three games will be played on November 23, beginning with the Detroit Lions hosting the Minnesota Vikings, the Dallas Cowboys hosting the Los Angeles Chargers ( in their first Thanksgiving Day game since 1969, and their first Thanksgiving game since they joined the NFL as part of the AFL - NFL merger in 1970 ), and a primetime game featuring Washington Redskins hosting the New York Giants. Christmas games : Christmas Day, December 25, falls on a Monday in 2017. Sunday Night Football will move from December 24, Christmas Eve, to Saturday, December 23, with the Green Bay Packers hosting the Minnesota Vikings ( alongside a Saturday Thursday Night Football game featuring the Indianapolis Colts and Baltimore Ravens ). Two games will be played on Christmas Day : a late - afternoon game featuring the Houston Texans hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers as a special edition of Thursday Night Football, and the Philadelphia Eagles hosting the Oakland Raiders for Monday Night Football. New Year 's Eve games : The NFL will play a full slate of 16 games on December 31, to conclude the regular season. All of the Week 17 games will be intra-divisional matchups, as they have been since 2010. The entire schedule was released on April 20, 2017. In - season scheduling changes The following games were moved or canceled because of severe weather, by way of flexible scheduling, or for other reasons : Preseason Week 4 : Due to the effects of Hurricane Harvey in the Houston area, the Cowboys -- Texans game was eventually canceled. The 2017 Texas Governor 's Cup preseason game, originally scheduled to be played at Houston 's NRG Stadium, was initially moved to the Cowboys ' AT&T Stadium, before the NFL opted instead to cancel the game altogether in order to allow Texans ' players and coaches to reunite with their families as well as to assist with the relief efforts. Week 1 : Due to the threat posed from Hurricane Irma, the Buccaneers -- Dolphins game was rescheduled to Week 11 ( November 19 ), when both teams were originally scheduled to have their bye weeks. Both teams had their bye also rescheduled to this week. Week 7 : The Bengals -- Steelers game, originally scheduled to start at 1 : 00 p.m. ET, was moved to 4 : 25 p.m. ET, with the game still on CBS. In addition, the Panthers - Bears game, originally scheduled to be broadcast on Fox, was flexed to CBS, but retained its scheduled start time of 1 : 00 p.m. ET. Regular season standings Division AFC East view talk PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK New England Patriots 6 0. 750 1 -- 0 3 -- 1 216 179 W4 Buffalo Bills 5 0. 714 1 -- 0 3 -- 1 153 115 W2 Miami Dolphins 0. 571 1 -- 1 3 -- 2 93 152 L1 New York Jets 5 0. 375 1 -- 3 2 -- 4 157 187 L3 AFC North view talk PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK Pittsburgh Steelers 6 0. 750 3 -- 0 4 -- 1 167 131 W3 Baltimore Ravens 0. 500 2 -- 1 4 -- 2 170 148 W1 Cincinnati Bengals 0. 429 1 -- 2 3 -- 3 122 135 W1 Cleveland Browns 0 8 0. 000 0 -- 3 0 -- 7 119 202 L8 AFC South view talk PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK Tennessee Titans 0. 571 2 -- 1 3 -- 3 158 173 W2 Jacksonville Jaguars 0. 571 2 -- 1 4 -- 2 183 110 W1 Houston Texans 0. 429 1 -- 1 3 -- 3 215 188 L1 Indianapolis Colts 6 0. 250 0 -- 2 1 -- 3 142 246 L3 AFC West view talk PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK Kansas City Chiefs 6 0. 750 2 -- 1 4 -- 2 236 180 W1 Denver Broncos 0. 429 2 -- 2 2 -- 3 127 147 L3 Los Angeles Chargers 5 0. 375 2 -- 2 2 -- 4 150 152 L2 Oakland Raiders 5 0. 375 1 -- 2 3 -- 4 169 187 L2 NFC East view talk PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK Philadelphia Eagles 7 0. 875 3 -- 0 6 -- 0 232 156 W6 Dallas Cowboys 0. 571 2 -- 0 4 -- 2 198 161 W2 Washington Redskins 0. 429 0 -- 3 2 -- 3 160 180 L2 New York Giants 6 0. 143 0 -- 2 0 -- 5 112 156 L1 NFC North view talk PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK Minnesota Vikings 6 0. 750 2 -- 1 4 -- 1 179 138 W4 Green Bay Packers 0. 571 1 -- 1 3 -- 3 164 161 L2 Detroit Lions 0. 429 1 -- 0 3 -- 3 175 169 L3 Chicago Bears 5 0. 375 0 -- 2 1 -- 5 134 171 L1 NFC South view talk PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK New Orleans Saints 5 0. 714 1 -- 0 4 -- 1 191 145 W5 Carolina Panthers 5 0. 625 1 -- 1 3 -- 3 148 142 W1 Atlanta Falcons 0. 571 0 -- 0 3 -- 0 153 152 W1 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 5 0. 286 0 -- 1 2 -- 3 148 168 L4 NFC West view talk PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK Seattle Seahawks 5 0. 714 2 -- 0 3 -- 1 171 132 W4 Los Angeles Rams 5 0. 714 2 -- 1 3 -- 2 212 136 W2 Arizona Cardinals 0. 429 1 -- 1 2 -- 4 119 191 L1 San Francisco 49ers 0 8 0. 000 0 -- 3 0 - 7 133 219 L8 Conference AFC # Team Division PCT DIV CONF SOS SOV STK Division leaders Pittsburgh Steelers North 6 0. 750 3 -- 0 4 -- 1. 475. 478 W3 Kansas City Chiefs West 6 0. 750 2 -- 1 4 -- 2. 557. 556 W1 New England Patriots East 6 0. 750 1 -- 0 3 -- 1. 517. 455 W4 Tennessee Titans South 0. 571 2 -- 1 3 -- 3. 404. 367 W2 Wild Cards 5 Buffalo Bills East 5 0. 714 1 -- 0 3 -- 1. 442. 405 W2 6 Jacksonville Jaguars South 0. 571 2 -- 1 4 -- 2. 509. 484 W1 In the hunt 7 Miami Dolphins East 0. 571 1 -- 1 3 -- 2. 491. 467 L1 8 Baltimore Ravens North 0. 500 2 -- 1 4 -- 2. 475. 333 W1 9 Houston Texans South 0. 429 1 -- 1 3 -- 3. 538. 318 L1 10 Cincinnati Bengals North 0. 429 1 -- 2 3 -- 3. 453. 304 W3 11 Denver Broncos West 0. 429 2 -- 2 2 -- 3. 472. 435 L3 12 New York Jets East 5 0. 375 1 -- 3 3 -- 4. 508. 364 L3 13 Los Angeles Chargers West 5 0. 375 2 -- 2 2 -- 4. 550. 318 L1 14 Oakland Raiders West 5 0. 375 1 -- 2 3 -- 4. 517. 565 L1 15 Indianapolis Colts South 6 0. 250 0 -- 2 1 -- 2. 414. 000 L3 16 Cleveland Browns North 0 8 0. 000 0 -- 3 0 -- 7. 508. 000 L8 Tiebreakers ^ Jump up to : Pittsburgh wins tie break over New England and Kansas City based on best win percentage in conference games. ^ Jump up to : Kansas City wins tie break over New England based on head - to - head win percentage. ^ Jump up to : Tennessee wins tie break over Jacksonville based on head - to - head win percentage. ^ Jump up to : Jacksonville wins tie break over Miami based on best win percentage in conference games. ^ Jump up to : Houston wins tie break over Cincinnati based on head - to - head win percentage. ^ Jump up to : Houston wins tie break over Denver based on best win percentage in conference games. ^ Jump up to : Cincinnati wins tie break over Denver based on best win percentage in conference games. ^ Jump up to : NY Jets wins tie break over LA Chargers based on best win percentage in conference games. Division tie break was initially used to eliminate Oakland ( see below ). ^ Jump up to : LA Chargers wins tie break over Oakland based on head - to - head win percentage. Jump up ^ When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL 's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest ranked remaining team from each division. NFC # Team Division PCT DIV CONF SOS SOV STK Division leaders Philadelphia Eagles East 7 0. 875 3 -- 0 6 -- 0. 400. 346 W6 Minnesota Vikings North 6 0. 750 2 -- 1 4 -- 1. 450. 400 W4 New Orleans Saints South 5 0. 714 1 -- 0 4 -- 1. 585. 514 W5 Seattle Seahawks West 5 0. 714 2 -- 0 3 -- 1. 373. 297 W4 Wild Cards 5 Los Angeles Rams West 5 0. 714 2 -- 1 3 -- 2. 412. 351 W2 6 Carolina Panthers South 5 0. 625 1 -- 1 3 -- 3. 517. 432 W1 In the hunt 7 Atlanta Falcons South 0. 571 0 -- 0 3 -- 0. 538. 433 W1 8 Green Bay Packers North 0. 571 1 -- 1 3 -- 3. 588. 517 L2 9 Dallas Cowboys East 0. 500 2 -- 0 4 -- 2. 380. 241 W2 10 Detroit Lions North 0. 429 1 -- 0 3 -- 3. 577. 455 L2 11 Washington Redskins East 0. 429 0 -- 3 2 -- 3. 593. 348 L1 12 Arizona Cardinals West 0. 429 1 -- 1 2 -- 4. 442. 174 L1 13 Chicago Bears North 5 0. 375 0 -- 2 1 -- 5. 600. 625 L1 14 Tampa Bay Buccaneers South 5 0. 286 0 -- 1 2 -- 3. 547. 267 L4 15 New York Giants East 6 0. 143 0 -- 2 0 -- 5. 529. 429 L1 16 San Francisco 49ers West 0 8 0. 000 0 -- 3 0 -- 7. 576. 000 L8 Tiebreakers ^ Jump up to : New Orleans wins tie break over Seattle based on best win percentage in conference games. ^ Jump up to : Seattle wins tie break over LA Rams based on head - to - head win percentage. ^ Jump up to : Atlanta wins tie break over Dallas and Green Bay based on best win percentage in conference games. ^ Jump up to : Green Bay wins tie break over Dallas based on head - to - head win percentage. ^ Jump up to : Detroit wins tie break over Arizona and Washington based on best win percentage in conference games. ^ Jump up to : Washington wins tie break over Arizona based on best win percentage in conference games. Jump up ^ When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL 's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest ranked remaining team from each division. Anthem protests Main article : U.S. national anthem protests ( 2016 -- present ) In week 3 of the season there were numerous anthem protests in response to comments by President Donald Trump stating that those who kneel during the anthem should be fired. Protests included entire teams linking arms or kneeling during the anthem. Three teams - the Steelers, Titans and Seahawks - did not even take to the field for the anthem. Notable Deaths The following people associated with the NFL ( or AFL ) have died in 2017. Dan Rooney Dan Rooney was chairman and plurality owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers and one of the sons of founding owner Art Rooney, Sr. Having been officially involved with the franchise since 1960, Rooney was a part of all six of the Steelers ' Super Bowl victories. In addition to this, Rooney was considered an active and progressive owner in the league 's operations, most famously by successfully pushing for the Rooney Rule, an affirmative action policy requiring all NFL franchises to interview persons of color for head coaching vacancies. Concurrently with his role with the Steelers, Rooney also served as United States Ambassador to Ireland from 2009 to 2014. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000, making him and his father the second father - son duo in the Hall behind Tim & Wellington Mara. Rooney died on April 13 at the age of 84. Others Dave Adolph Bill Anderson Ron Billingsley Dave Brazil Kevin Cadle Bernie Casey Bill Cox Bill Fischer Tom Graham Larry Grantham Ralph Guglielmi James Hadnot James Hardy III Larry Hayes Mitchell Henry Aaron Hernandez Larry Hickman John Hilton Claude Hipps Michael Jackson Derrick Jensen Cortez Kennedy Ken Kranz Yale Lary Bob Lee Tony Liscio Eddie Macon George Maderos Mickey Marvin Clay Matthews Sr. Red Miller Paul Mitchell David Modell Tom Modrak Rod Monroe Quentin Moses Leonard Myers Tommy Neck Babe Parilli Benny Perrin Hugh Pitts Sonny Randle Len Rohde Max Runager Jimmy Thomas Y.A. Tittle Ted Topor Rick Tuten Wayne Walker Clarence Williams Ellery Williams Bold indicates members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Rule changes The following rule changes were approved for the 2017 NFL season at the owners ' meeting on March 28, 2017 : Defensive players are now prohibited from running toward the line of scrimmage and leaping or hurdling over offensive linemen on field goal or PAT attempts, similar to a change made in college football for the 2017 season. Previously this action was permitted as long as the leaper or hurdler did not land on other players. Include in the definition of a `` defenseless player '' receivers tracking the quarterback or looking back for the ball, including inside the legal contact ( 5 yards from the line of scrimmage ) zone. Egregious hits to the head ( similar to the `` targeting '' rule in NCAA football ) will now result in an automatic ejection. The replay control center will make the final ruling on reviewed plays instead of the game referee, although the referee can still provide input on reviewable plays. The sideline replay monitor ( the `` hood '' ) will be eliminated and replaced with a tablet on the field for the referee to review with the replay control center. Crackback blocks are now prohibited by a backfield player in motion, even if he is not more than two yards outside the tackle box when the ball is snapped. Make permanent the rule that players who commit two certain types of unsportsmanlike conduct penalties ( throwing punches / forearms / kicking, even if they do not connect, directing abusive, threatening, or insulting language toward opponents, teammates, game officials or league officials, and using baiting or taunting acts or words that may engender ill will between teams ) in the same game will be automatically ejected. Extend for a second season the change in the touchback spot after a kickoff or safety free kick to the 25 - yard line. Make illegal actions that would conserve time penalized by the option for a 10 - second runoff inside of the two - minute warning of each half or overtime ( previously this only applied in the final minute of each half or overtime ). If a team commits multiple fouls on the same down with the intent of manipulating the game clock, the team will be penalized 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct and the game clock will be reset. This change was made in response to both the San Francisco 49ers and the Baltimore Ravens employing this strategy by intentionally holding the defensive players to allow the game clock to run down or run out ( in the case of the Ravens ' game vs. the Cincinnati Bengals ) during the previous season. In response to the move of Sarah Thomas from line judge to head linesman for the 2017 season, the NFL renamed the officiating position of the head linesman to `` down judge ''. The following rule changes were approved for the 2017 NFL season at the NFL Spring League meeting on May 23, 2017 : Overtime has been shortened from 15 minutes to 10 minutes for preseason and regular season games. Playoff games will continue to have 15 minutes for overtime periods. Restrictions on celebrations have been relaxed, removing penalties for group celebrations, going to the ground to celebrate, or using the ball as a prop. Teams can bring two players back from injured reserve instead of one. Teams can now cut their preseason rosters from 90 players to 53 on one day, removing the deadline to get the roster down to 75 players before the final preseason game. Teams will not be required to give candidates for general manager final say over the 53 - man roster. The following will be `` points of emphasis '' for the 2017 season : Blindside blocks of a defender in the head or neck area while the defender is in a defenseless position Low hits on quarterbacks at or below the knees `` Launching '' at players by leaving both feet to impact a defender anywhere on his body with the helmet Contact downfield between receivers and defensive players, closely enforcing both offensive and defensive pass interference or illegal contact / holding The ban on teams contacting potential coaching candidates until that candidate 's team has been eliminated from the playoffs was tabled. Records, milestones, and notable statistics Week 1 Kansas City Chiefs ' running back Kareem Hunt finished with 246 total yards and three touchdowns, setting the record for the most total yards in an NFL debut. Week 2 Los Angeles Chargers ' tight end Antonio Gates scored his 112th career receiving touchdown, breaking a tie with Tony Gonzalez for the most career receiving touchdowns by a tight end in NFL history. Aaron Rodgers passed for his 300th touchdown, surpassing Peyton Manning as the fastest quarterback to reach that milestone both in attempts and appearances. Week 3 Antonio Brown reached 650 receptions in his 104th game, becoming the fastest player since Marvin Harrison to reach that feat. New York Giants ' wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. broke the record for fastest receiver to reach 300 career receptions, doing so in 45 games. Matt Prater of the Detroit Lions broke the previous NFL record of three made field goals from more than 55 yards in a season by kicking a 57 - yard field goal against the Atlanta Falcons. Week 5 Larry Fitzgerald became the third player in NFL history to record 200 straight games with a reception, all while playing for the Arizona Cardinals. Week 6 With his 187th regular season win, Tom Brady surpassed Peyton Manning and Brett Favre for the most regular season wins by a quarterback in NFL history. Week 7 Drew Brees became just the fourth player in NFL history to record 500 or more passing touchdowns ( including playoffs ), joining Tom Brady, Brett Favre, and Peyton Manning. Eddie Jackson became the first player in NFL history with multiple defensive touchdowns of at least 75 yards in a single game against the Carolina Panthers. Week 8 The Cleveland Browns have gone 4 -- 41 over their last 45 games dating back to 2014, tying for the worst 45 - game stretch in NFL history with the 2007 - 10 Detroit Lions. Awards Players of the week / month The following were named the top performers during the 2017 season : Week / Month Offensive Player of the Week / Month Defensive Player of the Week / Month Special Teams Player of the Week / Month AFC NFC AFC NFC AFC NFC Alex Smith ( Chiefs ) Sam Bradford ( Vikings ) Calais Campbell ( Jaguars ) Trumaine Johnson ( Rams ) Giorgio Tavecchio ( Raiders ) Matt Prater ( Lions ) Tom Brady ( Patriots ) J.J. Nelson ( Cardinals ) Chris Jones ( Chiefs ) Desmond Trufant ( Falcons ) Cody Parkey ( Dolphins ) Jamal Agnew ( Lions ) Tom Brady ( Patriots ) Kirk Cousins ( Redskins ) Terrence Brooks ( Jets ) DeMarcus Lawrence ( Cowboys ) Steven Hauschka ( Bills ) Jake Elliott ( Eagles ) Sept. Kareem Hunt ( Chiefs ) Todd Gurley ( Rams ) Melvin Ingram ( Chargers ) DeMarcus Lawrence ( Cowboys ) Ryan Succop ( Titans ) Matt Prater ( Lions ) Deshaun Watson ( Texans ) Todd Gurley ( Rams ) Cameron Heyward ( Steelers ) Julius Peppers ( Panthers ) Steven Hauschka ( Bills ) Greg Zuerlein ( Rams ) 5 Melvin Gordon ( Chargers ) Aaron Rodgers ( Packers ) Telvin Smith ( Jaguars ) Earl Thomas ( Seahawks ) Adam Vinatieri ( Colts ) Kenjon Barner ( Eagles ) 6 Le'Veon Bell ( Steelers ) Adrian Peterson ( Cardinals ) Johnathan Joseph ( Texans ) Cameron Jordan ( Saints ) Ryan Succop ( Titans ) Pharoh Cooper ( Rams ) 7 Amari Cooper ( Raiders ) Carson Wentz ( Eagles ) Kevin Byard ( Titans ) Eddie Jackson ( Bears ) Travis Benjamin ( Chargers ) Kai Forbath ( Vikings ) Week FedEx Air Player of the Week ( Quarterbacks ) FedEx Ground Player of the Week ( Running backs ) Pepsi Rookie of the Week Castrol Edge Clutch Performer of the Week Alex Smith ( Chiefs ) Kareem Hunt ( Chiefs ) Kareem Hunt ( Chiefs ) Alex Smith ( Chiefs ) Trevor Siemian ( Broncos ) C.J. Anderson ( Broncos ) Tyus Bowser ( Ravens ) Trevor Siemian ( Broncos ) Tom Brady ( Patriots ) Kareem Hunt ( Chiefs ) Jake Elliott ( Eagles ) Jake Elliott ( Eagles ) Deshaun Watson ( Texans ) Le'Veon Bell ( Steelers ) Alvin Kamara ( Saints ) Deshaun Watson ( Texans ) 5 Carson Wentz ( Eagles ) Leonard Fournette ( Jaguars ) Aaron Jones ( Packers ) Aaron Rodgers ( Packers ) 6 Carson Wentz ( Eagles ) Adrian Peterson ( Cardinals ) Marshon Lattimore ( Saints ) Mark Ingram ( Saints ) 7 Derek Carr ( Raiders ) Aaron Jones ( Packers ) Aaron Jones ( Packers ) Carson Wentz ( Eagles ) Month Rookie of the Month Offensive Defensive Sept. Kareem Hunt ( Chiefs ) Tre'Davious White ( Bills ) Head coaching and front office personnel changes Head coaches Offseason Team 2016 head coach 2016 interim 2017 replacement Reason for leaving Story / accomplishments Buffalo Bills Rex Ryan Anthony Lynn Sean McDermott Fired Ryan was fired with one week remaining in the 2016 regular season and a 15 -- 16 record with no playoff appearances in two seasons. His twin brother, assistant head coach Rob Ryan, was also dismissed. Ryan signed on as a commentator for ESPN, replacing Trent Dilfer. Lynn began the 2016 season as running backs coach, then moved to offensive coordinator when Greg Roman was fired in week 3, then interim head coach after the Ryans ' dismissal. Lynn lost his one game as interim head coach. Former Carolina Panthers ' defensive coordinator Sean McDermott was named as the Bills ' new head coach on January 11, 2017. Meanwhile, Lynn was hired as the new head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers. Denver Broncos Gary Kubiak Vance Joseph Retired Kubiak stepped down after two seasons due to health concerns, with a victory in Super Bowl 50 and a 24 -- 10 record, including postseason games. Vance Joseph, who spent the previous season as the Miami Dolphins ' defensive coordinator, was hired on January 11, 2017. Jacksonville Jaguars Gus Bradley Doug Marrone Fired Bradley was fired with two weeks remaining in the 2016 season and a 14 -- 48 (. 226 ) record with no playoff appearances in four seasons. He is expected to join Anthony Lynn with the Chargers, with Bradley as defensive coordinator. Marrone, the Jaguars ' offensive line coach, was previously head coach of the Buffalo Bills from 2013 -- 14 ; he went 1 -- 1 in his two games as interim head coach of the Jaguars. On January 9, 2017, the Jaguars announced that Marrone would be named permanent head coach. Los Angeles Chargers Mike McCoy Anthony Lynn McCoy was fired after four seasons, with one playoff appearance and a 27 -- 37 record. He then joined the Denver Broncos, serving as Vance Joseph 's offensive coordinator. Anthony Lynn was hired as the Chargers ' new head coach on January 12, 2017. Los Angeles Rams Jeff Fisher John Fassel Sean McVay After receiving a two - year contract extension prior to the season, Fisher was fired after going 4 -- 9 through the first 13 games of the 2016 season, and 31 -- 45 -- 1 (. 414 ) in his five - year tenure in St. Louis and Los Angeles. Under his tenure, the Rams never finished better than 7 -- 8 -- 1 ( 2012 ) and never reached the playoffs. Fassel, the son of former NFL head coach Jim Fassel, has been the Rams ' special teams coach since 2012 ; he went 0 -- 3 in the interim. On January 12, Washington Redskins Offensive Coordinator Sean McVay was named head coach. Sean McVay is the grandson of former San Francisco 49ers GM John McVay. At the time of his hiring, McVay was age 30, making him the youngest person to become a head coach ( excluding the player - coaches of the 1920s ) in NFL history. San Francisco 49ers Chip Kelly Kyle Shanahan Kelly was fired after one season with a 2 -- 14 record. Kyle Shanahan, who most recently served as the Atlanta Falcons ' offensive coordinator, was named the new coach of the 49ers on February 6, 2017. Due to league anti-tampering rules, the 49ers had to wait until after the completion of the Falcons ' playoff run, before formally hiring Shanahan. Front office personnel Offseason Team Position 2016 office holder Reason for leaving 2017 office holder Notes San Francisco 49ers GM Trent Baalke Fired John Lynch Baalke, who spent the past twelve years with the team, informed KNBR - AM in San Francisco on January 1, 2017, that he had been fired. On January 29, 2017, Lynch, a former player and broadcaster, was named the general manager of the San Francisco 49ers ; it is his first front office position. Jacksonville Jaguars EVP - FO position created Tom Coughlin Coughlin, the team 's inaugural head coach, was rehired as executive vice president of football operations on January 9, 2017. He had spent the 2016 season out of football after several years of coaching the New York Giants. Indianapolis Colts GM Ryan Grigson Fired Chris Ballard Grigson was relieved of his duties as Colts general manager on January 21, 2017. On January 30, 2017, Chris Ballard, who had spent the past four seasons as director of football operations for the Kansas City Chiefs, was named the new GM of the Colts. Washington Redskins GM Scot McCloughan TBA McCloughan was fired on March 9, 2017, after two seasons with the Redskins. Doug Williams was named senior vice president of player personnel on June 13, 2017. Buffalo Bills GM Doug Whaley Brandon Beane Whaley was fired the morning of April 30, 2017, immediately following the draft. He had spent seven seasons with the Bills, four of them as general manager. Brandon Beane, who had spent the previous 19 seasons with the Carolina Panthers ( most recently as assistant general manager ), was hired as the new general manager on May 9, 2017. Kansas City Chiefs GM John Dorsey Brett Veach Dorsey was unexpectedly fired on June 22, 2017, after four seasons. Brett Veach, who had spent the past four seasons as the Chiefs co-director of player personnel, was promoted to general manager on July 10, 2017. Carolina Panthers GM Dave Gettleman Marty Hurney Gettleman was unexpectedly fired after four seasons on July 17, 2017. Marty Hurney, who was the Panthers ' GM from 2002 to 2012, was rehired as the interim general manager for the 2017 season. The team plans to conduct a search for a permanent general manager after the season ends. Stadiums Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons will play their first season at Mercedes - Benz Stadium, after playing in the Georgia Dome for the previous 25 seasons. Naming rights Arizona Cardinals The stadium in which the Arizona Cardinals play their home games is in the process of obtaining a new naming rights agreement. The University of Phoenix, which owns the naming rights to the Cardinals ' home field, is planning to terminate the final nine years of a 20 - year agreement, but will continue to keep its name on the stadium. Denver Broncos The stadium in which the Denver Broncos play their home games is in the process of obtaining a new naming rights agreement. Sporting goods retailer Sports Authority, which had owned the naming rights to the Broncos ' home field since 2011, filed for bankruptcy in March 2016, and liquidated all of their stores. The Broncos bought out the existing naming rights contract with permission from the Delaware District United States bankruptcy court in August 2016. Three months later, the Broncos selected American talent agency WME - IMG to secure a new naming rights partner for their home field, which, to date, still carries the name Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Relocations San Diego Chargers ' relocation to Los Angeles On January 12, 2017, the San Diego Chargers exercised their option to relocate to Los Angeles as the Los Angeles Chargers. They will be joining the Los Angeles Rams as tenants in their new stadium, Los Angeles Stadium at Hollywood Park in Inglewood, California when that stadium is complete in 2020. For the time being, the Chargers will play at the 30,000 seat StubHub Center in Carson, California, the smallest venue ( in terms of number of seats ) the league has used for a full season since 1956. Oakland Raiders ' relocation to Las Vegas Main article : Oakland Raiders relocation to Las Vegas On January 19, 2017, the Oakland Raiders filed paperwork to relocate to Las Vegas, Nevada. The NFL officially approved the Raiders relocation to Las Vegas on March 27. Unlike the Chargers, the Raiders will remain at the Oakland -- Alameda County Coliseum through at least the 2018 season ( with the 2019 season to be determined ) while Las Vegas Stadium is built, with the team moving to Nevada in 2019 or 2020. Attendance The Los Angeles Rams, who had capped season ticket sales at 55,000 for the 2017 season, announced to have 60,128 spectators in the first home game on week 1. However, reports estimate that spectators only filled a third of the 93,607 seats of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The Los Angeles Chargers did not sell out their week 2 game at the StubHub Center, which was never expanded to 30,000 seats as originally stated and has typically had less than 26,000 fans in attendance. When the StubHub Center is at capacity, the majority of the fans present are of the opposing team. The Los Angeles teams were not the only ones with visible attendance problems. The San Francisco 49ers reported a Week 3 attendance total that exceeded the capacity of Levi 's Stadium, even as wide swaths of empty seats were visible in the stadium throughout the game. This followed similar sparse attendance for the 49ers ' home opener. New uniforms and patches Twenty - five teams transitioned to Nike 's new uniform template. While most teams have just transitioned to it without any actual changes to the uniforms themselves, the New Orleans Saints, Cincinnati Bengals, and Los Angeles Rams uniforms are the most noticeable in it, fixing their collars in the process. The Detroit Lions unveiled new uniforms on April 13, 2017, eliminating all black elements from the uniform and logo. They added a new alternate uniform as well as a new Color Rush uniform. The Los Angeles Rams announced they would be switching their primary helmets to white and blue, similar to their Color Rush helmets. The team had fans vote on the color of their facemask, which would be white, and the design of their pants, which would be white with a blue stripe. The Rams also announced that they would explore a full rebrand in the near future. The Cincinnati Bengals will wear a patch to commemorate their 50th season. The San Francisco 49ers have altered their sleeve striping from 3 stripes to 2 stripes. The Pittsburgh Steelers will wear a patch to honor their former chairman, the late Dan Rooney, who died in April, at the age of 84. The patch will feature a shamrock, with Rooney 's initials `` DMR ''. The last time the Steelers wore a jersey patch was when Art Rooney died in 1988. They also donned a helmet decal to honor Chuck Noll, who died in 2014. The Dallas Cowboys will wear blue jerseys at home on a more regular basis, marking the first time the team has worn blue jerseys at home outside of Thanksgiving games since the NFL allowed teams to wear white jerseys at home in 1964. Despite the team 's well - documented blue jersey `` jinx '', player preference as well as stronger retail sales of the navy blue jerseys over the white ones have prompted the team 's decision. The blue jerseys will be worn for `` high - profile '' games at AT&T Stadium. Media Broadcast rights This is the fourth season under the current broadcast contracts with ESPN, CBS, Fox, and NBC. This includes `` cross-flexing '' ( switching ) Sunday Afternoon games between CBS and Fox before or during the season ( regardless of the conference of the visiting team ). NBC will continue to air Sunday Night Football, the annual Kickoff game, and the primetime Thanksgiving game. ESPN will continue to air Monday Night Football and the Pro Bowl. NBC will also serve as the broadcaster of Super Bowl LII. This will also be the second and final year of the current Thursday Night Football contract with CBS, NBC, and NFL Network. Along with ESPN 's simulcasted Wild Card game on ABC, ESPN announced on May 24, 2017, that the 2018 Pro Bowl will also be simulcast on ABC, marking the return of the Pro Bowl to the network for the first time since 2003. For the first 9 weeks of the regular season, ESPN2 will simulcast ESPN Deportes ' Spanish - language Monday Night Football broadcasts. The simulcast will end after Week 9 due to ESPN2 's Monday - night college basketball broadcasts. Although never explicitly announced, the league continued the moratorium on its blackout policy, ensuring all games will be televised in the market of their home teams regardless of ticket sales. In over-the - top rights, Amazon Video acquired non-exclusive streaming rights to the 10 broadcast television Thursday Night Football games for $50 million. These streams will be exclusive to paid Amazon Prime subscribers, in contrast to Twitter, which held the rights to the same package in 2016 and had made those streams free to most of the world. This is the final season of the NFL 's exclusive mobile streaming contract with Verizon Wireless ; the league intends to no longer have a single exclusive partner going forward, citing changes to viewing habits. Verizon Communications acquired international streaming rights to an NFL London Game between the Baltimore Ravens and Jacksonville Jaguars, in a similar arrangement to the 2015 game that was streamed by Yahoo ! -- which was acquired by Verizon in 2017. The game was streamed by Yahoo and other Verizon - owned platforms, including AOL, go90, and Complex. NFL Network remains a partner with Twitter for online content, including its new streaming news program NFL Blitz Live. The NFL also reached a deal with Facebook in September 2017 to offer video highlights following games, and streaming programs on the service 's new Watch platform. This is also the final season of the NFL 's current national radio contract with Westwood One. Two new international digital rights deals also led to user criticism over their quality of service. In Canada, NFL Sunday Ticket shifted from distribution through television providers to the over-the - top provider DAZN, while in Europe, Deltatre took over European distribution of NFL Game Pass and launched new mobile apps. Both services faced criticism over their streaming quality, while Delatre 's app faced criticism for having bugs and initially lacking features seen in the previous version of the platform. The Independent exposed that Deltatre had also issued an internal e-mail instructing its employees to give the apps 5 - star reviews. DAZN subsequently announced that it would return to distributing Sunday Ticket through Canadian television providers in addition to their OTT service. Commercials The league has sought to reduce the number of standard commercial breaks ( media timeouts ) on its telecasts from 21 to 16, four in each quarter, with each break extended by one additional 30 - second commercial. One particular scenario the league sought to eliminate is the `` double - up, '' in which a network cuts to a commercial after a scoring play, then airs the kickoff, and again goes to commercial before play from scrimmage resumes. Under the proposal, the league will allow networks to cut to commercial during instant replay reviews, which it had not been allowed to do before. Commissioner Roger Goodell stated that the changes are being made in an attempt to consolidate downtime between the actual game play so that there are fewer and less noticeable interruptions ; he does not expect the changes to have an appreciable impact on the real - time length of a game, which currently clocks in at slightly over three hours. The NFL will also, as a trial, lift its ban on the broadcast of commercials for distilled spirits during its telecasts. However, they are subject to restrictions ; a maximum of four liquor ads may be broadcast per - game, along with two per - pregame and postgame show. These ads may not contain football - related themes or target underage viewers, and must contain a `` prominent social responsibility message ''. Personnel changes Tony Romo, who announced his retirement as a player on April 4, 2017, joined CBS, where he replaced Phil Simms as lead color commentator. Simms and Nate Burleson, who comes over from NFL Network, will replace Tony Gonzalez and Bart Scott on CBS 's pregame show, The NFL Today. Jay Cutler also announced his retirement from professional football on May 5 and was slated to join Fox as a color analyst for its NFL coverage ; he later rescinded that announcement in August and joined the Miami Dolphins. Gonzalez will move to Fox, where he will join Fox NFL Kickoff ; upon his departure, Gonzalez stated that he wished to pursue opportunities closer to his home in California, rather than travel to New York weekly to appear on CBS. James Lofton, coming over from radio, will replace Solomon Wilcots as a CBS analyst. On May 31, 2017, it was announced that Mike Tirico would replace Al Michaels on play - by - play on NBC 's portion of the Thursday Night Football package, joined by Cris Collinsworth. The NFL had previously required this role to be filled by NBC 's lead broadcast team of Michaels and Collinsworth ; Tirico called a limited slate of games in 2016, including several NBC - broadcast games as a fill - in for Michaels ( who voluntarily took several games off due to the increased number he was calling that season ), and as part of a secondary team for selected games the TNF package. He will also succeed Bob Costas as the lead studio host for NBC. Due to its proximity to the 2018 Winter Olympics ( where he is also succeeding Bob Costas as lead host ), Tirico will not participate in NBC 's Super Bowl LII coverage. Beth Mowins became the second woman to call play - by - play for a national NFL broadcast, following Gayle Sierens in 1987, when she served as play - by - play announcer for the nightcap in ESPN 's Week 1 Monday Night doubleheader, with Rex Ryan as her color commentator. In an unusual case of a broadcaster working for two networks in the same season, Mowins also called a regional game for CBS in Week 3, with Jay Feely as her partner. Television viewers and Ratings Most watched regular season games DH = doubleheader ; SNF = NBC Sunday Night Football Rank Date Matchup Network Viewers ( millions ) TV rating Window Significance September 17, 4 : 25 ET Dallas Cowboys 17 Denver Broncos 42 Fox 26.0 14.3 Late DH September 10, 8 : 30 ET New York Giants Dallas Cowboys 19 NBC 24.4 13.4 SNF Cowboys -- Giants Rivalry October 8, 4 : 25 ET Green Bay Packers 35 Dallas Cowboys 31 Fox 23.9 13.6 Late DH Cowboys -- Packers Rivalry September 10, 4 : 25 ET Seattle Seahawks 9 Green Bay Packers 17 22.8 12.7 Late DH 2014 NFC Championship Game rematch 5 October 29, 4 : 25 ET Dallas Cowboys 33 Washington Redskins 19 22.0 12.7 Late DH Cowboys -- Redskins Rivalry 6 September 7, 8 : 30 ET Kansas City Chiefs 42 New England Patriots 27 NBC 21.8 12.6 Kickoff Game First game of the season 7 September 24, 4 : 25 ET Cincinnati Bengals 24 Green Bay Packers 27 CBS 21.3 12.2 Late DH 8 October 15, 4 : 25 ET Pittsburgh Steelers 19 Kansas City Chiefs 13 20.6 12.0 Late DH 2017 Divisional Round rematch 9 September 17, 8 : 30 ET Green Bay Packers 23 Atlanta Falcons 34 NBC 20.2 11.3 SNF 2016 NFC Championship Game rematch * Note -- Late DH matchups listed in table are the matchups that were shown to the largest percentage of the market. DAL / DEN was shown in 81 % of the markets during the late doubleheader time slot of Fox coverage. GB / DAL was shown in 99 % of the markets during the late doubleheader time slot of Fox coverage, with the Bay Area being the only market not airing the game. SEA / GB was shown in 89 % of the markets during the late doubleheader time slot of Fox coverage. DAL / WSH was shown in 99 % of the markets during the late doubleheader time slot of Fox coverage, with the Seattle area being the only market not airing the game. CIN / GB was shown in 80 % of the markets during the late doubleheader time slot of CBS coverage. PIT / KC was shown in 86 % of the markets during the late doubleheader time slot of CBS coverage. References Jump up ^ Spanos, Dean ( January 12, 2016 ). `` Letter From Dean Spanos ''. San Diego Chargers. Retrieved January 12, 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` Chargers announce decision to relocate to Los Angeles ''. National Football League. January 12, 2017. Retrieved January 12, 2017. 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Retrieved June 3, 2017. Jump up ^ `` NFL Adds Liquor to Menu of Advertisers ''. Wall Street Journal. Retrieved June 3, 2017. ( subscription required ) Jump up ^ `` Phil Simms on being replaced at CBS by Tony Romo : My pride was hurt ''. Philly.com. Retrieved May 5, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Tony Romo will finally rescue us from Phil Simms and become top analyst at CBS ''. SB Nation. Vox Media. Retrieved May 5, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Jay Cutler to join FOX Sports as a broadcaster ''. NFL.com. May 5, 2017. Retrieved May 22, 2017. Jump up ^ Fang, Ken ( May 10, 2017 ). `` James Lofton joins CBS as an NFL game analyst, while Tony Gonzalez jumps to Fox ''. Awful Announcing. Retrieved May 22, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Tirico To Call `` Thursday Night Football '' For NBC This Season ``. Sports Business Journal. Retrieved June 1, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Syracuse University alum Mike Tirico to call NFL games on NBC ''. Syracuse.com. Retrieved February 13, 2017. 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Retrieved September 11, 2017. 2017 NFL season AFC East North South West East North South West NFC Buffalo Baltimore Houston Denver Dallas Chicago Atlanta Arizona Miami Cincinnati Indianapolis Kansas City NY Giants Detroit Carolina LA Rams New England Cleveland Jacksonville LA Chargers Philadelphia Green Bay New Orleans San Francisco NY Jets Pittsburgh Tennessee Oakland Washington Minnesota Tampa Bay Seattle Draft NFL Honors Pro Bowl Super Bowl LII National Football League seasons Early era ( 1920 -- 1969 ) 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 Modern era ( 1970 -- present ) 1970 1971 1972 1973 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1984 1985 1986 2017 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2017_NFL_season&oldid=808197510 '' Categories : 2017 National Football League season National Football League seasons Current American football seasons Hidden categories : Pages containing links to subscription - only content Use mdy dates from October 2017 Articles needing cleanup from September 2017 All pages needing cleanup Cleanup tagged articles with a reason field from September 2017 Articles using small message boxes Wikipedia pages needing cleanup from September 2017 All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from October 2017 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Deutsch Español Français Italiano Magyar 日本 語 Português Română Русский Edit links This page was last edited on 1 November 2017, at 13 : 30. 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Question: who plays in the first nfl football game
Answer: Kansas City Chiefs