The Kansas City Chiefs badly wanted a game in Madrid this year, but they didn't get any international games at all.
The Kansas City Chiefs have been at the forefront of the NFL’s expansion into international markets, largely because they have a star-studded team that travels well. Future Hall of Famers like quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce have attracted international followings, so the Chiefs slot perfectly into the league’s marketing machine on that front.
Not this year, though. The NFL just announced its international schedule as part of the slow-crawl schedule release, and the Chiefs were left out, according to a report from Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. The league will stake out new marketing ground in Australia this season, and Brazil, the UK, France, Germany and Spain will all be part of the NFL itinerary for the teams that were chosen to travel.
This has to be a huge disappointment to Chiefs owner Clark Hunt, who’s been lobbying hard for a game in Madrid. The Chiefs know full well how lucrative these new international markets can be, and they’re trying to get additional money to help fund their new stadium effort.
The potential opponent in Madrid was the Atlanta Falcons, and the Chicago Bears were also rumored to have a strong interest. But the NFL chose Cincinnati Bengals as Atlanta’s opponent for the Madrid game, and the Chiefs were completely left out in the cold.
If you look at the teams and the way they line up, there’s a fairly obvious logical process involved in the choices. The NFL chose some lesser teams for games in established markets like the UK, including the Washington Commanders, Indianapolis Colts and the Bengals, which makes sense since the market guarantees them some visibility given that they’ll be playing in a game window with no competition and they’re all struggling to some extent.
Meanwhile, the league trotted out the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers for its first foray down under, and the international docket is dotted with other media-friendly teams.
The hidden benefit for a team like the Chiefs is the reduced travel. The Chiefs have been everywhere in the last few years, and they’ve also been constantly playing on short weeks. They’ve looked and played like a tired team at times, but this year that won’t be the case.
The extra rest could help Kansas City here and there, and the Chiefs need all the help they can get this season given that they’re coming off a 6-11 season.