The NFL just made a massive mistake with the Chiefs
The NFL made a massive mistake with the Kansas City Chiefs on Wednesday. Kansas City announced on Wednesday morning that the franchise will be heading to Germany in 2023 to take on the Miami Dolphins in Week 9 (November 5). This is a huge missed opportunity for the NFL. It robs the league (and more […]
The NFL made a massive mistake with the Kansas City Chiefs on Wednesday.
Kansas City announced on Wednesday morning that the franchise will be heading to Germany in 2023 to take on the Miami Dolphins in Week 9 (November 5).
This is a huge missed opportunity for the NFL. It robs the league (and more importantly, fans) of one of the best storylines of the season.
The matchup between the Chiefs and the Dolphins is a "home game" for Kansas City. The expectation was that 2023 would feature former Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill's return to Arrowhead Stadium.
Kansas City traded Hill to the Dolphins ahead of the 2022 season. He spent the previous six seasons with the Chiefs.
Hill's return to Kansas City would've been a key storyline line in 2023. How would fans react to Hill? How would Hill handle coming back to the stadium he called home for six seasons? What kind of performance would Hill give?
Because of the NFL's strange decision to schedule this game in Germany, we'll never know the answers to those questions (though it's possible Miami could make the playoffs and earn a trip to Arrowhead).
Instead of scheduling the Chiefs and the Dolphins in Germany, the NFL should've instead used Kansas City's home game against the Chicago Bears or the Detroit Lions.
The Chiefs actually deserve some blame here as well. According to NBC Sports' Peter King, they requested that the Germany game not be scheduled against the Bears (the NFL allows teams to request that one matchup not be scheduled overseas).
Regardless of who's most at fault, this was a major scheduling mistake. The overseas games are great, but the NFL is robbing the league of some great storylines that in previous years would've been automatic. It's a shame for fans in Kansas City and even in Miami. It's a shame for Hill, too. I'm sure he was looking forward to an electric return to Arrowhead.
