The Kansas City Chiefs have reportedly formally requested to become a permanent fixture on the NFL’s Christmas Day schedule.
According to The Athletic, the Chiefs are pushing to establish themselves as the NFL’s Christmas Day headliner. This is similar to how the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys have become synonymous with Thanksgiving football. It follows Kansas City’s appearances on the holiday schedule for the past two seasons.
Fans on Reddit quickly expressed their frustration with Kansas City’s request.
“God they’re so full of themselves,” a fan wrote.
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“Patrick Mahomes hates Christmas, confirmed,” another fan commented.
“Main character syndrome,” one fan wrote.
More fan reactions started pouring in.
“I like the chiefs but this is just crazy lmao,” a fan commented.
“Chiefs fans don’t even want this. Let me enjoy Christmas,” one fan said.
“First they ruin the NFL, now they wanna ruin Christmas!” a fan wrote.
The report comes at a time when the NFL has already announced plans for a three-game Christmas lineup in 2025, with two games airing on Netflix and another on Amazon Prime Video. Christmas falls on a Thursday this year, so Amazon Prime Video will get a game as part of its existing Thursday Night Football rights package.
Last year’s Chiefs-Steelers Christmas Day broadcast delivered strong viewership numbers, averaging 24.1 million viewers across Netflix and local CBS stations, according to Nielsen data. The game was part of a demanding schedule that saw Kansas City play three games in 11 days.
Chiefs’ Christmas push contradicts Patrick Mahomes’ previous comments about holiday games
Following last year’s compressed December schedule, Patrick Mahomes expressed clear discomfort with the arrangement.
“It’s not a good feeling,” Mahomes said, via NFL.com. “You never want to play this amount of games in this short of time. It’s not great for your body. But, at the end of the day, it’s your job, your profession. You have to come to work and do it.”
Mahomes also noted that he tries to prepare his body all year for difficult stretches, adjusting his workouts and practice routine accordingly.
“The coaches do a great job of taking care of us on the practice field,” Mahomes said. “We practice as hard as anybody, but they know how to dial it back when needed.”
Kansas City coach Andy Reid took a more pragmatic view of Christmas Day games last season.
“It’s a different situation,” Reid said. “You just have to manage it. It is what it is. You make the best of it. The main thing is you get guys ready for the game. Give them a chance to get ready for the game.”
The Chiefs are also reportedly frontrunners to face the Chargers in Sao Paulo, Brazil, in what would be the NFL’s second-ever game in South America.
