Insider predicts Eagles' opponent for Week 1 Brazil game

The NFL confirmed during Super Bowl week that the Philadelphia Eagles will serve as the home team for the league's first regular-season game held in Brazil scheduled for Friday, Sept. 6, as part of the opening weekend of the 2024 campaign. 

In Monday's edition of his "Football Morning in America" column, NFL insider Peter King of NBC Sports suggested that the Cleveland Browns, Atlanta Falcons and Green Bay Packers are the most realistic options among Philadelphia's 2024 opponents to face the Eagles in Sao Paulo.

"Not that this makes the determination, but Philadelphia would hate to lose a date in Philadelphia versus the Packers," King explained. 

King also noted that it's unclear if new Atlanta head coach Raheem Morris, hired instead of living legend Bill Belichick, "can have a ready-made team and/or a competent quarterback to compete" against the Eagles right out of the gates. 

"The NFL doesn’t want a mystery team in a big marquee game in Week 1," King wrote. 

As for Cleveland, the 2023 Browns went 11-6 en route to earning a playoff berth. The AFC North club also features the reigning Coach of the Year in Kevin Stefanski and the reigning Defensive Player of the Year in superstar pass-rusher Myles Garrett. 

"I’m sure the NFL hasn’t made the call, but the Browns make the most sense to me," King concluded. 

Some have speculated that the fact that Cleveland Browns Stadium is set to host performances by Billy Joel And Rod Stewart on Friday, Sept. 13, likely means the Browns will host a Week 1 game next season and then be on the road for Week 2. However, Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal mentioned last week that the NFL has a history of having teams begin campaigns with back-to-back away contests. 

"The Miami Dolphins, Green Bay Packers, San Francisco 49ers and Las Vegas Raiders all opened with consecutive road games last season," Easterling wrote. "The season before that, the Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers each opened with two road games in a row." 

Easterling also pointed out that the Browns have only played in one of the NFL's International Series games: a 33-16 loss to the Minnesota Vikings in London back in 2017. 

Per Sky Sports News, the full NFL schedule release is expected to occur in the middle of May.