Bengals QB Joe Burrow's injury might force the NFL to make a TV change
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow's season-ending wrist injury could force the NFL to make a late-season TV change. Entering the 2023 season, one of the most anticipated games on the NFL schedule was the Week 17 matchup between the Bengals and the Kansas City Chiefs (which will be played at Burrowhe….er, Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas […]
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow's season-ending wrist injury could force the NFL to make a late-season TV change.
Entering the 2023 season, one of the most anticipated games on the NFL schedule was the Week 17 matchup between the Bengals and the Kansas City Chiefs (which will be played at Burrowhe….er, Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City).
But due to Burrow's season-ending injury, that game has obviously lost its luster a bit. The Bengals, of course, are going to continue to compete for a playoff spot with Jake Browning under center. But their odds of locking down a playoff spot took a big hit once Burrow went down.
The game between the Chiefs and the Bengals is set to be the second game in a CBS national double header, kicking off at 4:25 PM ET.
With Burrow sidelined, and if the Bengals are out of the playoff race by then, it seems likely that the NFL would look to replace the Bengals/Chiefs matchup with a more attractive game.
NBC Sports' Peter King suggested in his weekly "Football Morning in America" column that the Baltimore Ravens' home game against the Miami Dolphins in Week 17, which is currently scheduled for 1:00 PM ET, could move to the 4:25 PM ET slot to replace the Bengals vs Chiefs game.
From NBC Sports' Peter King: I think the league would want Mahomes to stay in a national doubleheader window on New Year’s Eve—unless the Bengals are firmly out of it. But this is an easy fix if need be. CBS also has Miami-Baltimore on Dec. 31, in the early window. CBS easily could trade the Mahomes game for the Tua-Lamar game, pushing a game with some major playoff stakes into the big late-window national game.
In this scenario, the Chiefs vs Bengals game would likely move to the 1:00 PM ET slot on CBS (which would make for a noon kickoff in Kansas City).
It's still a bit early to consider what the NFL might do in this situation — if the Bengals are still in the hunt, the NFL likely won't make a change. But for folks making plans in advance — especially if those plans include traveling — it might be something to consider over the next month as the NFL schedule plays out.
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Joe Burrow will miss the rest of the 2023 season with a wrist injury
