One of the best days of the year is almost here.
The NFL will soon release the regular-season schedule for all 32 teams, including the Chargers in Year 1 of the Jim Harbaugh Era.
Here is what you need to know about the 2024 schedule release:
When will the schedule be released?
The 2024 NFL schedule will be revealed on Wednesday, May 15 at 5 p.m. (PT).
The league officially announced the news Monday morning.
Who are the Chargers 2024 opponents?
The Bolts will once again play a 17-game season, with eight scheduled home games and nine on the road.
Here are the Chargers scheduled home and away opponents in 2024:
Home: Broncos, Chiefs, Raiders, Bengals, Ravens, Buccaneers, Saints and Titans
Road: Broncos, Chiefs, Raiders, Browns, Steelers, Falcons, Panthers, Cardinals and Patriots
Since moving to a 17-game schedule in 2021, the AFC and NFC have alternated the number of home and away games every year — one conference gets nine home games and the other gets eight.
This year is the AFC's turn to have an extra road game.
Why do they play those teams?
The Chargers will have their usual six games against AFC West foes, with home and away games against the Broncos, Chiefs and Raiders.
The Bolts are also slated to play two other divisions — the AFC North and the NFC South — based on a league-wide rotation that makes up eight games on the schedule.
The Chargers play the AFC North every three years, so the teams will all square off after doing so in 2021.
The difference is that home and away games from that season are switched. For example, the Bolts will host the Ravens after traveling to Baltimore three years ago.
The AFC West also plays the NFC South every four years so it's time for the Bolts go up against that division. Those home and away games also rotate, meaning the Chargers will travel to Carolina for the first time since 2016 after hosting the Panthers in 2020.
The Chargers final three games are against teams that finished in the same spot in their respective divisions in 2023.
The Bolts will play a fourth-place schedule based on their 5-12 finish last season, which is why they were matched up against same-place finishers in Arizona, Tennessee and New England.
Take a look back at the fifth week of the Chargers 2024 off-season program in monochrome
What is the Bolts strength of schedule?
Based on the final records of teams in 2023, the Chargers are tied for the 27th toughest schedule this year.
The Bolts 2024 opponents combined to go 138-151 for a .478 winning percentage, which is the same strength of schedule as Tampa Bay.
The Chargers will have tough matchups against the AFC North teams — all of whom finished with a winning record in 2023 — with three of them (Ravens, Browns and Steelers) making the playoffs.
The Chiefs and Buccaneers are the only other 2023 playoff teams the Chargers will face this season.
Elsewhere around the AFC West, the Raiders are slated to have the division's toughest outlook as they are tied for eighth toughest strength of schedule at 148-141 (.512).
The Chiefs are tied at 16th with three other teams at 145-144 (.502) while the Broncos have the 20th toughest strength of schedule at 143-146 (.495).