The Kansas City Chiefs are looking to become the Dallas Cowboys or Detroit Lions of Christmas Day.
The NFL announced this week that three games will be held on Christmas Day during the 2025 season, which is up from two last year. Patrick Mahomes and company have played on Dec. 25 the past two years, and they are expected to be one of the six teams playing on the holiday again next season.
According to Nate Taylor and Daniel Popper of The Athletic, the Chiefs would like it to stay that way every year. They have reportedly requested that the NFL make them a fixture on the league’s Christmas Day lineup, similar to how the Cowboys and Lions both play every year on Thanksgiving.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid on the sideline
Jan 20, 2019; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid against the New England Patriots during the AFC championship game at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
With the Chiefs being one of the most popular teams in sports, the NFL will likely be more than happy to accommodate the request. Games that feature the Chiefs are typically among the most highly rated of the season, and that is unlikely to change in the near future with Mahomes still in his prime.
As for why Kansas City would ask for Christmas Day games, John Breech of CBS Sports theorized that Andy Reid’s team may be angling for extra rest before the playoffs. The Christmas Day games will be played in Week 17. The games fell on a Wednesday last year, which gave the Chiefs 11 days off before their regular-season finale.
Of course, a long break between Week 17 and Week 18 means a short break between Week 16 and Week 17, depending upon which day of the week Christmas falls. However, in a season when the Chiefs have clinched a playoff spot and plan to rest their starters in Week 18, the extended time off after Week 17 might be beneficial.
Last year’s Christmas Day game between the Chiefs and Pittsburgh Steelers drew 24.1 million viewers, which made it one of the most-streamed games in U.S. history. Having Kansas City play on Christmas Day every year would probably be bad news for one other league.