Headliners: 10 of the top NFL stars are coming to Allegiant Stadium this year

David J. Phillip / AP

Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes, left, and Tyrann Mathieu celebrate after beating the 49ers in the Super Bowl in Miami Gardens, Fla., Feb. 2, 2020. The Chiefs will play in Vegas Nov. 22.

By Case Keefer (contact)

Thursday, Sept. 17, 2020 | 2 a.m.

Beginning September 21 with Monday Night Football, some of the top stars and most intriguing players in the NFL will play at Allegiant Stadium against the Raiders. Here are 10 players to keep an eye on this season:

1. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints quarterback (Week 2, September 21): Welcoming the NFL’s all-time leader in career pass completions, passing yards and passing touchdowns should be quite the way for the Raiders to christen their new building.

2. Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints running back (Week 2, September 21): In fantasy football terms, no one will make a more anticipated Allegiant Stadium debut this season than Kamara. The Raiders will face a tall task trying to slow down the versatile fourth-year pro out of Tennessee, a consensus top-five pick in fantasy drafts.

3. Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback (Week 7, October 25): The six-time Super Bowl champion will visit the Pacific time zone outside a New England Patriots jersey for the first time in his career when Las Vegas makes its maiden Sunday Night Football appearance.

4. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback (Week 11, November 22): Fresh off of winning a Super Bowl—and signing the largest contract in American professional sports history (a 10-year deal worth up to $503 million)—Mahomes will try for a fifth straight victory against the rival Raiders.

5. Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs tight end (Week 11, November 22): Mahomes aside, this eighth-year pro has become the face of the Chiefs and one of the top tight ends in NFL history. Last year, he became the first at the position to ever register 1,000 receiving yards for four straight seasons, earning his fifth consecutive Pro Bowl nod.

6. Von Miller, Denver Broncos linebacker (Week 10, November 15): Derek Carr was one of the first players to wish the former Super Bowl MVP well when he went down in training camp with an ankle injury. There’s a chance Miller could return in time for the trip to Las Vegas, and he’s been at his best when playing against the Raiders, racking up 64 tackles and nine sacks in 16 career games against the divisional rival.

7. Jerry Jeudy, Denver Broncos wide receiver (Week 10, November 15): Expect Jeudy and the Raiders’ Henry Ruggs III—college teammates at Alabama, selected two picks apart as the top receivers in April’s NFL Draft—to be linked and compared for years to come.

8. Philip Rivers, Indianapolis Colts quarterback (Week 14, December 13): On the heels of Brees and Brady, a third future Hall of Fame quarterback visits Allegiant Stadium. Barring injury, the 38-year-old Rivers should be making his 237th consecutive start—second-most all-time behind Brett Favre.

9. Joey Bosa, Los Angeles Chargers defensive end (Week 15, December 17): Edge-rushing has never been more important in the NFL, and with 40 sacks in his first four seasons, few players are better at it than this Ohio State product, who could helm one of the NFL’s better defenses.

10. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins quarterback (Week 16, December 26 or 27): The rookie, former Alabama star won’t start for the Dolphins at the beginning of the season, but he should have supplant journeyman Ryan Fitzpatrick by the time the Raiders play their final home game. The No. 5 overall pick from last year’s draft has the upside to become one of the league’s best players.

Crystal ball: Which sporting events could be headed to Allegiant?

Ever since construction began on Allegiant Stadium, the NFL pledged to bring all of its marquee events to the venue. The league has already started to live up to that promise, as it will host this season’s Pro Bowl locally on January 31, 2021. There’s been some speculation that the event, now held annually a week before the Super Bowl, could relocate to Las Vegas permanently.

Allegiant Stadium is also expected to get into a regular Super Bowl rotation. Super Bowl sites are scheduled through 2024, but Las Vegas is considered a big favorite to host the game for the first time in 2025. Other annual football events at Allegiant Stadium include the Pac-12 Championship Game (though the conference isn’t planning to compete this season because of the coronavirus) and the Las Vegas Bowl.

This story appeared in Las Vegas Weekly.