Kansas City, MO (Chiefs.com) – The National Football League announced the regular season schedule for the 2022 season on Thursday. The Chiefs are currently slated to play in five primetime contests, including three nationally televised games at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. This year’s regular season schedule features nine games vs. eight playoff teams from 2021. The combined record of Kansas City’s 2022 home and away opponents from last year is 154-135-0 (.533).
The Chiefs will kick off their quest for a seventh-consecutive AFC West title on the road against Patrick Mahomes’ former college coach Kliff Kingsbury and the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, Sept. 11. Kansas City then returns home to GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium to face the Los Angeles Chargers on Sept. 15, the inaugural installment of Thursday Night Football exclusively on Amazon Prime Video. Since Andy Reid’s arrival in 2013, the Chiefs own a 41-13 (.759) record against AFC West opponents.
After facing the Indianapolis Colts on the road Sept. 25, the Chiefs have back-to-back primetime contests, the first a rematch of Super Bowl LV when they face the Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium on NBC’s Sunday Night Football on Oct. 2. KC then returns home to take on the Las Vegas Raiders on ESPN’s Monday Night Football on Oct. 10. Since 2013, the Chiefs hold a 15-3 (.833) record against the Raiders. On Oct. 16, the Chiefs take on the Buffalo Bills at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium at 3:25 p.m., a rematch of last year’s AFC Divisional showdown in which the quarterbacks for both teams combined for 707 passing yards and seven touchdowns in an overtime thriller.
On Oct. 23, the Chiefs hit the road again, this time to take on the San Francisco 49ers on FOX. It will be the first regular season meeting between the two clubs since Super Bowl LIV. Following the team’s Bye Week, KC will host the Tennessee Titans on Sunday Night Football on Nov. 6, then continue in the AFC South by hosting former Chiefs Offensive Coordinator Doug Pederson and the Jacksonville Jaguars on Nov. 13. After a trip to Los Angeles to face the Chargers on Nov. 20, KC comes home to host the defending Super Bowl Champion Los Angeles Rams on Nov. 27.
The Chiefs will kick off the month of December with three-straight road contests, the first an AFC Championship rematch with the Cincinnati Bengals on Dec. 4, then a Sunday Night Football matchup with the Denver Broncos on Dec. 11, followed by a trip to Houston to face the Texans on Dec. 18. Five of Kansas City’s final eight games this year will be on the road.
Kansas City will be home for Christmas and New Year’s this season with contests against the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday, Dec. 24, and then the Denver Broncos on Sunday, Jan. 1. The club will close out regular season play in Las Vegas, taking on the Raiders on either Jan. 7 or 8.
In addition to the announcement of the club’s regular season schedule, the NFL also released the Chiefs preseason opponents. KC will be on the road Week 1 against the Chicago Bears. Weeks 2 and 3 of preseason play will be against the Washington Commanders and Green Bay Packers at GEHA Field at Arrowhead. Dates and times for preseason games will be announced at a later date. KSHB, the home for Chiefs preseason football games, will hold the broadcast unless it’s determined to be a nationally televised contest.
The regular season schedule will open with the reigning Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams will hosting the Buffalo Bills on Thursday night, Sept. 8, with the AFC Champion Cincinnati Bengals home to their division rivals, the Steelers, on Sunday, Sept. 11 when all but two other teams get started. The following night, on Monday, September 12th, Russell Wilson bringing his Denver Broncos to Seattle, returning to the stadium where he led the Seahawks to the best years in franchise history, including a Super Bowl championship, until an offseason trade sent him to Colorado. Sunday’s prime-time game features Tom Brady – unless he retires again before September – and the Buccaneers at Dallas. Brady’s decision to unretire after a short hiatus forced NFL schedule makers to scramble and redo some of the game slots.
Previously revealed was that one of the Christmas Day tripleheader games, Denver at the Rams, will be televised by Nickelodeon as well as CBS, with Green Bay at Miami in the 1 p.m. slot, then Tampa Bay at Arizona at night.
Christmas Eve will also have a contest, with the Raiders at the Steelers.
The traditional Thanksgiving games will have Detroit hosting Buffalo, Dallas at home for the Giants, and New England at Minnesota at night.
More holiday fare: 14 games on New Year’s Day, which will force some bowl games to adjust away from Jan. 1. The likely top matchups to begin 2023 include San Francisco at Las Vegas, Miami at New England, and Denver at Kansas City.
Only one franchise is not set for prime time: Detroit. But the league’s flex schedule could change that if the Lions show significant improvement.
In contrast, the Rams, Packers, Bucs, Broncos, Eagles, Cowboys, Chargers, Chiefs, Steelers, 49ers, Patriots and Bengals each have five night games.
