The National Football League (NFL) has announced a contingency plan that could see Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, host a highly anticipated AFC Championship game between the Buffalo Bills and the Kansas City Chiefs. This neutral site scenario would come into play on Sunday, January 29, at 6:30 PM ET, if both teams advance to the conference final.
This decision follows the cancellation of the Week 17 game between Buffalo and Cincinnati. To ensure competitive fairness due to the unequal number of games played by teams, the NFL clubs approved a resolution. This resolution dictates that if both the Bills and Kansas City reach the AFC Championship and could have potentially hosted the game as the number one seed under a full 17-game season, a neutral venue would be selected.
Therefore, if the playoffs unfold with Buffalo and Kansas City facing off for the AFC title, fans would witness this exciting matchup at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Atlanta was pre-selected as a possible backup location for postseason games before the 2022 season began, primarily due to its roughly equidistant location from both Buffalo and Kansas City. For all other potential AFC Championship game pairings, the higher-seeded team will retain home-field advantage.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell stated, “We are heartened by the continued improvement and progress of Damar Hamlin in his recovery, and Damar and his family remain top of mind for the entire NFL community. We are also grateful to Arthur Blank and the Atlanta Falcons for agreeing to host the AFC Championship Game in Atlanta should the Bills and Chiefs advance. We thank both of those clubs for their assistance in the planning process. We know, if necessary, Mercedes-Benz Stadium will provide a world class atmosphere for the competing teams, our fans and partners.â€
Further details regarding the game, including ticket availability, will be released at a later time. Season Ticket Members for both Buffalo and Kansas City who had previously expressed interest in purchasing championship game tickets will be given priority access.
