The NFL has announced a contingency plan that could see a highly anticipated AFC Championship showdown between the Buffalo Bills and the Kansas City Chiefs relocated to Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. This unprecedented move, scheduled for Sunday, January 29, at 6:30 PM ET, comes as a result of the unique circumstances arising from the cancellation of the Week 17 game between the Bills and Cincinnati Bengals.
Last week, NFL clubs approved a resolution designed to address the competitive imbalances created by this cancellation. A key element of this resolution is the provision for a neutral site AFC Championship Game. This measure would be enacted if both the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs were to advance to the conference final, and if the unequal number of games played by teams meant that both could have potentially secured the coveted number one seed and home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs, had a full 17-game regular season been completed by all.
Therefore, the condition is set: if the Bills and Chiefs both win their respective Divisional Round games, the AFC Championship will not be hosted in either Kansas City or Buffalo, but instead in the state-of-the-art Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Atlanta was pre-selected by the NFL as a contingency host for postseason games before the 2022 season commenced. Its geographical location is almost perfectly equidistant from both Kansas City and Buffalo, making it a logistically sound neutral ground. Importantly, should any other matchup for the AFC Championship materialize, the game will proceed as traditionally scheduled, hosted by the home stadium of the team with the higher seed.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell addressed the situation, stating, “We are heartened by Damar Hamlin’s continued recovery and progress, and Damar and his family remain in the thoughts of the entire NFL community.†He further added, “We extend our sincere gratitude to Arthur Blank and the Atlanta Falcons organization for their willingness to host the AFC Championship Game in Atlanta should the Bills and Chiefs advance. We appreciate the cooperation of both clubs in this planning process. We are confident that Mercedes-Benz Stadium will offer a premier, world-class environment for the competing teams, our passionate fans, and valued partners, should it be necessary.â€
Further details regarding this potential neutral site game, including crucial ticket information, will be released by the NFL at a later date. It has been confirmed that Buffalo and Kansas City Season Ticket Members who had previously committed to purchasing championship game tickets will be given priority access in any ticket allocation process for a neutral site game.
