Notable Dates For Locals In NFL As 2021 Schedule Is Released
May 12, 2021, 5:51 PM
New Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer speaks to the media during the second round of THE PLAYERS Championship on THE PLAYERS Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass on March 12, 2021, in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL. (Photo by Ben Jared/PGA TOUR via Getty Images)
(Photo by Ben Jared/PGA TOUR via Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The 2021 NFL schedule is out and there are plenty of dates and matchups to circle that involves locals from the state of Utah.
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For the NFL fan, the season will kickoff on Thursday, September 9 as the defending champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers host the Dallas Cowboys. The game will begin at 6:20 p.m. MT and will be televised on KSL TV.
The first Sunday Night Football game of the season will feature former Utes Jaylon Johnson and the Chicago Bears taking on Matt Gay, Terrell Burgess and the Los Angeles Rams on KSL TV. The first Monday Night Football game will be the Baltimore Ravens traveling to Las Vegas to face the Raiders.
Former Utah head coach Urban Meyer will make his NFL head coaching debut on the road against the Houston Texans in Week 1. No. 2 overall pick and former BYU QB Zach Wilson will make his New York Jets debut on the road as they face former Jets QB Sam Darnold and the Carolina Panthers.
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Other games occurring on the first Sunday of the season among players with local ties includes former Utah QB and current QB coach at Philadelphia Brian Johnson will make his NFL coaching debut against the Falcons.
Former Ute Zack Moss, former Weber State CB Taron Johnson, former Utah DT Star Lotulelei and the Buffalo Bills battle the Pittsburgh Steelers. Former BYU OT and rookie Brady Christensen and the Panthers will face Zach Wilson’s Jets.
Former Utah P Mitch Wishnowsky and BYU safety Kai Nacua and the San Francisco 49ers will open the season against former Desert Hills and Oregon star OT Penei Sewell along with BYU RB Jamaal Williams and the Detroit Lions.
Former Utah LB Cody Barton, safety Marquise Blair and the Seattle Seahawks will face former teammate Julian Blackmon and the Indianapolis Colts. Leki Fotu, Kylie Fitts and the Arizona Cardinals will take on the Tennessee Titans in the season opener.
Former BYU LB Sione Takitaki and the Cleveland Browns will face Daniel Sorensen and the Kansas City Chiefs. Kyle Van Noy will make his return to the New England Patriots and will open the season against his former team the Miami Dolphins.
Taysom Hill will battle for the starting QB job in New Orleans. The Saints will start the season at home against the Green Bay Packers. If Aaron Rodgers doesn’t come back to Green Bay, Jordan Love could be the starter.
Garett Bolles, Tim Patrick and the Denver Broncos will face Devontae Booker and the New York Giants.
Trevor Allen is a Utah Utes Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of the Crimson Corner podcast. Follow him on Twitter: @TrevorASports. You can download and listen to the podcast, here.
