Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta has been selected as the neutral site location for a potential AFC Championship Game between the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs, the NFL announced Thursday.
The game is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, Jan. 29.
NFL owners approved a resolution last Friday to adjust the AFC playoffs in order to address the competitive inequities created by the cancellation of the Bills-Cincinnati Bengals game in Week 17. That game was postponed on Jan. 2 after Bills safety Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest on the field.
Hamlin has been discharged from a Buffalo hospital and will continue his rehabilitation at home.
“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,” league commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement on Thursday.
“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.”
Per the NFL, Atlanta already had been designated as a potential backup site for postseason games prior to the start of the 2022 season. It also is almost equidistant from both Buffalo and Kansas City.
The second-seeded Bills (13-3) host the Miami Dolphins (9-8) on Sunday during the AFC wild-card round. The Chiefs (14-3) clinched the AFC’s No. 1 seed and lone bye following their 31-13 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders last Saturday.
–Field Level Media