Washington to face Los Angeles Chargers in Week 1

Washington’s first game of the 2021 season will involve a showdown of the reigning offensive and defensive rookie of the year. 

Washington will host the Los Angeles Chargers at FedEx Field to kick off its regular-season schedule on Sunday, Sept. 12, CBS announced Wednesday. The network will televise the matchup at 1 p.m.

The rest of the NFL schedule will drop around 8 p.m. CBS announced its Week 1 slate on “CBS This Morning,” while Fox did the same on its various platforms like “Fox and Friends” and Fox Sports 1.

Washington’s matchup with the Chargers pits defensive end Chase Young against Los Angeles quarterback Justin Herbert. Both took home honors at the end of last season after impressive rookie years. Herbert threw for 4,336 yards and a rookie-record 31 touchdowns. Young had 7 1/2 sacks to go with four forced fumbles. 

The Chargers, like Washington, went 7-9 in 2020, though missed the playoffs.

This marks the second straight season Washington gets to open at home. The team came from behind to stun the Philadelphia Eagles in a Week 1 27-17 win last year. 

Unlike in 2020, Washington is expected to have full capacity at FedEx Field. The pandemic limited the team to hosting just one game with fans in 2020, albeit with a reduced crowd of 3,000.