After months without NFL football games, the league is back. The NFL Kickoff game is Thursday, Sept. 7, between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Detroit Lions. Fans have been waiting a long time for the return of football, so they would love to see something iconic happen right away. NFL Week 1 is one of the most highly anticipated weeks in sports, so what better way to celebrate than to look at the greatest performances in week 1 history? Plenty of legendary moments have started the NFL season out hot in seasons prior. Here are the 10 greatest performances in Week 1 history.

10. Ryan Fitzpatrick, 2018

Ryan Fitzpatrick is the poster boy for what a journeyman quarterback is, but he still had some big moments in his career. Fitzpatrick was a fan favorite, but the height of his stardom came during his “Fitzmagic” run with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Fitzpatrick wasn't even supposed to be the Buccaneers starting quarterback, but he took over the reins because of a Jameis Winston suspension.

Fitzpatrick proved he was a starting-caliber quarterback, throwing for 417 yards in a 48-point offensive explosion. The quarterback tossed four passing touchdowns and had an additional rushing touchdown. Not known for his running ability, Fitzpatrick was certainly feeling it in Week 1 as he had 12 rushing attempts for 36 yards, not bad for a pocket-passing 36-year-old.

At the time, the yardage was a career-high for the longtime quarterback. The game sparked a cultural sensation that saw Fitzpatrick wear chains, sunglasses, and an unbuttoned suit the following week.

9. Anquan Boldin, 2003 

Like another player on this list later, Anquan Boldin's best career game happened to be his first career game. Some players struggle with jitters in their debuts, but not Boldin. As a rookie, Boldin had 10 catches for 217 yards and two touchdowns in his NFL Week 1 debut.

The 217 yards are the most receiving yards in a rookie debut in NFL history. Boldin's Arizona Cardinals would actually go on to lose the game, but not in part because of Boldin's play.

8. Garrison Hearst, 1998

Garrison Hearst has one of the most iconic plays in NFL Week 1 history. The San Francisco 49ers and New York Jets played in a thriller that went to overtime. But Hearst ended things quickly in the extra time of play, taking a 96-yarder to the house on the first play of overtime to win the game.

Hearst's walk-off was the big play of the game, but it wasn't the only thing he did. Hearst also had 225 total yards from scrimmage and an additional rushing touchdown.

The overtime game-winner is one of the most memorable plays in NFL history, regardless of week. Hearst put on a stiff-arming masterclass en route to running the distance and breaking the tie.

7. Kareem Hunt, 2017

Kareem Hunt had arguably the best career debut of all time in Week 1 of the 2017 season. He broke the record for scrimmage yards in an NFL debut when he had 246 total yards.

One hundred forty-eight of his yards came on the ground, and Hunt added another 98 yards on five catches through the air. Hunt had three total touches in the epic display of what was to come, as Hunt finished the season as the NFL's rushing leader.

To make the performance more impressive, Hunt led his team to a 42-27 victory over the Patriots, a team that was the defending Super Bowl champions.

6. Emmitt Smith, 1995

Emmitt Smith is the all-time NFL rushing leader with 18,355 yards and 164 rushing touchdowns. One hundred sixty-three of those yards and four of those touchdowns came in NFL Week 1 of the 1995 season.

The Dallas Cowboys star could rarely be tackled, but that was especially so in this performance. The New York Giants couldn't bring Smith down, as he ran for 7.8 yards per carry on 21 attempts, an impressively efficient day running the football. Smith joined an exclusive club when he ran the ball into the end zone four times, a feat he only accomplished one other time in his NFL career.

5. Jerry Rice, 1994

Jerry Rice was a man on a mission in week 1 of 1994. He was just two touchdowns shy of Jim Brown's all-time touchdown record going into the game. Instead of just tying the record, the greatest non-quarterback in NFL history decided to surpass it in one game. Rice had two receiving touchdowns and a rushing touchdown to boot.

He did this with seven receptions for 169 receiving yards. His lone rush added 23 more yards to his total. The game was the first Monday Night Football game of the year, so the whole world was watching as Rice dominated the Raiders and recorded his record-breaking 127th touchdown. He finished his career with 208 touchdowns, an all-time record.

4. Patrick Mahomes, 2022

The most recent performance on the list of greatest performances in NFL Week 1 history was done last season by Patrick Mahomes. The two-time MVP always starts off strong and dominates in the NFL's first week. In the four seasons prior to 2022, Mahomes had thrown for 337 yards/three touchdowns, 211 yards/three touchdowns, 378 yards/three touchdowns, and 256 yards/four touchdowns. His best week 1 performance ever, though, was in 2022.

Mahomes threw for 360 yards and five touchdowns while leading the Kansas City Chiefs to a 44-21 victory over the Arizona Cardinals.

It was a monster performance and another example of how starting the season strong could lead to continued success. Mahomes went on to win both the MVP and Super Bowl MVP that season.

Mahomes and the Chiefs start off the NFL action in the NFL Kickoff game on Thursday, Sept. 7. It seems destined that Mahomes will once again put on another historic performance, but he may have to do it without the recently injured Travis Kelce.

3. Tom Brady, 2011

The greatest quarterback of all time was obviously going to be on the list of the greatest Week 1 performances of all time. In Week 1 of 2011, Brady proved his MVP from the previous season was no fluke. He came out of the gates on fire, throwing for 517 passing yards. That number stands as Brady's career high in passing yards, and it was the only game he ever threw for over 500 yards.

Brady had four passing touchdowns, all of which went to different receivers. Eight different players caught a pass from Brady in the game. Brady didn't need multiple games to get going, as the Week 1 performance was one of the best performances of Brady's career.

The game set the precedent for how Brady would approach the 2011 season. He led the Patriots to a 13-3 record and took them all the way to the Super Bowl, although they ended up losing the big game.

2. Derrick Thomas, 1998

The best Week 1 performance ever by a defensive player? The answer is Derrick Thomas in 1998 with the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs' pass rusher is one of the best sack artists ever, and that was on full display in the 28-8 blowout over the division-rival Oakland Raiders.

Thomas had six sacks, only one shy of the all-time record for sacks in a game (which he holds). Thomas was an animal on the field, getting to and pressuring the quarterback on a consistent basis. He led the way, but his team added four additional sacks. The Chiefs forced seven fumbles, one of which was by Thomas, and the sack master also forced a safety. It was a nightmare day for Raiders quarterback Jeff George.

Leading into the 1998 season, some thought Thomas was washed up. The pass rusher shut those critics up right away in the first game of the season. He wreaked havoc behind the Raiders' line of scrimmage but also added nine solo tackles; a truly epic performance.

1. Peyton Manning, 2013

The greatest performance in Week 1 history is also arguably the greatest performance in any regular season game ever. In 2013, the Denver Broncos were coming off of a heartbreaking loss in the playoffs to the eventual champion Baltimore Ravens. But they got their revenge in the NFL Kickoff game that started the 2013 season.

Denver exploded to a 49-27 point blowout over the reigning Super Bowl winners, and it was all in thanks to Peyton Manning. He threw for seven touchdowns, which is still tied for the NFL record for passing touchdowns in a game. Manning and the Broncos got whatever they wanted. The Sheriff had 462 passing yards, and Wes Welker, Julius Thomas, and Demaryius Thomas each had two receiving touchdowns.

Manning's brilliant NFL Week 1 game was just the start of a magical season. He went on to throw for a record 55 touchdowns in the regular season.