The Chiefs fell short in Super Bowl LV, but they’re still in demand when it comes to Sunday Night Football appearances.
The NFL released the schedule for the 2021 season on Wednesday night and Kansas City is set for three appearances on NBC this season. They’ll face the Ravens in Baltimore in Week 2, host the Bills in a rerun of the AFC title game in Week 5, and make what should be their first appearance in front of Las Vegas fans when the play the Raiders in Week 10.
It’s not a given that the Chiefs will make all of those appearances. Games can be flexed into the Sunday night spot starting in Week 5, but something will have to have gone catastrophically wrong for the Chiefs to be considered a poor draw by Week 10. Two teams will be flexed into the Week 18 slot after Week 17 for the final game of the regular season.
The Packers are also set for three appearances. The Week 3 road game against the 49ers will remain as scheduled regardless of who is playing quarterback in Green Bay, but the Week 14 home game against the Bears and the Week 17 matchup with the Vikings may not stay put if Aaron Rodgers does not stay put.
The Buccaneers and Cowboys are both scheduled for two Sunday night games. As announced on Wednesday morning, they’ll also play the first game of the season on NBC on Thursday, September 6.
Week 1 will also see the Rams host the Bears to cap the first Sunday of action. The Rams should be in front of fans at SoFi Staidum for the first time in the regular season and they’re set for a Week 9 home game against the Titans as well. Th Chargers are slated to host the Steelers in Week 11, so the stadium will host three Sunday night games if all remains as scheduled.
The full Sunday Night Football slate appears below:
Week 1 — Bears at Rams.
Week 2 — Chiefs at Ravens.
Week 3 — Packers at 49ers.
Week 4 — Buccaneers at Patriots.
Week 5 — Bills at Chiefs.
Week 6 — Seahawks at Steelers.
Week 7 — Colts at 49ers.
Week 8 — Cowboys at Vikings
Week 9 — Titans at Rams.
Week 10 — Chiefs at Raiders.
Week 11 — Steelers at Chargers.
Week 12 — Browns at Ravens.
Week 13 — 49ers at Seahawks.
Week 14 — Bears at Packers.
Week 15 — Saints at Buccaneers.
Week 16 — Washington at Cowboys.
Week 17 — Vikings at Packers.
Week 18 — Teams to be determined after Week 17.