Potential Chiefs-Bills AFC title matchup to be played in Atlanta

We now know where the Kansas City Chiefs will host (?) the Buffalo Bills in the AFC title game — if it comes to that. According to a league press release, it would be at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, home of the Atlanta Falcons.

Should the Bills win their Wild Card and Divisional round games and the Chiefs win their Divisional round game, the two clubs would square off for the right to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl on Sunday, Jan. 29 at 5:30 p.m. Arrowhead Time.

The decision comes after the league’s owners voted on and approved a contingency plan that would include a neutral site for a Bills-Chiefs matchup, stemming from the canceled Bills-Cincinnati Bengals Week 17 regular-season game due to the health emergency surrounding Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin.

Here is the cited reason that the league opted for Atlanta:

Atlanta was designated a possible backup host site for postseason games prior to the start of the 2022 season and is almost equidistant from both potential participating teams’ cities.

Here is a quote from NFL commissioner Roger Goodell:

“We are heartened by the continued improvement and progress of Damar Hamlin in his recovery, and Damar and his family remain top of mind for the entire NFL community. We are also grateful to Arthur Blank and the Atlanta Falcons for agreeing to host the AFC Championship Game in Atlanta should the Bills and Chiefs advance. We thank both of those clubs for their assistance in the planning process. We know, if necessary, Mercedes-Benz Stadium will provide a world class atmosphere for the competing teams, our fans and partners.”

The league adds that Bills and Chiefs season-ticket holders who previously committed to purchasing championship game tickets would have first priority on tickets in Atlanta.