Andy Reid, Clark Hunt
Getty
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid with team owner Clark Hunt on October 10, 2022.
The Kansas City Chiefs take on the Philadelphia Eagles in a highly anticipated rematch of Super Bowl LIX in Week 2.
Following Kansas City’s 27-21 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 1, a win, especially during their home opener at Arrowhead Stadium, will give the team a much-needed boost. Chiefs head coach Andy Reid told reporters of the team’s lack of energy against the Chargers, “There are no excuses for any of us for what took place. We’ve got to do better.”
The Chiefs are expecting a sell-out crowd on Sunday, September 14. Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and his brother, Jason Kelce, are even hosting a “New Heights” pregame tailgate.
For the first time in over 16 years, however, there will be a different public address announcer calling the game, as Dale Carter resigned “effective immediately” on September 11. Carter took Chiefs Kingdom by surprise with his abrupt announcement.
As for why he decided to call it quits just three days before the Chiefs’ home opener, “Going into this season, they wanted a further adjustment that crosses my red line.” Fans begged Carter to reveal what request the organization made that led to his resignation, and the 94.1 KFKF radio show host shared the answer the following day.
Dale Carter Quit After He Refused To Give Up ‘Third Down’ Call To Fellow Announcer Nate Herron
Former Chiefs PA announcer Dale Carter said the reason he resigned 3 days before the home opener was because the organization asking him to change his iconic “IT’S. THIRD. DOWN.” call. He said this week the team wanted the other PA announcer to do the third down call and that was… pic.twitter.com/k12nfR9E4f
— Farzin Vousoughian (@Farzin21) September 12, 2025
Carter addressed his departure on his eponymous radio show on Friday, September 12. His bosses at 65 Toss Power wanted to change up his signature “It’s third down” call earlier this week. “They said, ‘This is coming from up high, it’s not us, but we’ve got to talk about third down,'” the longtime announcer revealed, per Farzin Vousoughian.
While he tinkered with variations, requesting that fellow PA announcer Nate Herron take over the third-down call “was my red line,” Carter said. He also shared a final statement on the matter via his Facebook page:
This is going to be my last word on the Chiefs thing. As I said on my show this morning, the red line for me related to my third down call. For over a decade the 3rd down call I started doing (as an answer to the league warning me about “cheerleading) became a signature of game day. Many of you referred to me as ‘the 3rd down guy.’
Last season, as we were heading into the playoffs, the people I work for (65 TPT Productions) told me they were hearing from ‘a high level’ that someone had heard another PA guy at another stadium really amp it up on 3rd down and they wanted me to experiment with different calls. Some of you caught on to that and mentioned that you noticed. I didn’t agree with what they wanted me to do but I’ve always been a team player and tried to do whatever they wanted me to try. Until this week.
On Tuesday my 65 TPT contact called to say they wanted the other PA guy (the one who does pre-game activities and reads the commercials in game) to start doing the 3rd down call to shake things up. That was my red line. I wish them the best of luck.
Chiefs Fans Strongly Supported Dale Carter, Calling Out The Front Office For Making A Mistake
Clark Hunt
GettyChiefs owner Clark Hunt at Caesars Superdome on February 03, 2025.
Chiefs Kingdom loved Carter and his announcing style. Fans offered him full support with many people calling out the team for making a mistake. One fan posted on X, “This feels like a bizarre situation. The ‘it’s third down’ is such a staple of the Arrowhead experience! What a shame.”
One man asked, “Why change something iconic and loved by all the fans as part of the arrowhead experience?” Another fan called out team owner and CEO Clark Hunt and wrote, “Hunt is an idiot. Gifted this 15-20 year run and he’s fumbling it like no other. Smh.”