Kansas City Chiefs avoid London appearance in 2018
By Matt Conner
The Kansas City Chiefs will not be playing in London in 2018, although two of their AFC West rivals will both lose a home game to playing overseas.
Every year, the National Football League asks a few teams to cross the Atlantic and set up shop for a few days in London in a cooperative effort to spur the sport’s popularity overseas. It’s an interesting endeavor that seems to be working fairly well, given the attendance at games at venues like Wembley Stadium, but it also comes at a considerable cost for the franchises involved.
For teams to travel to Europe in the middle of a regular season can upset the rhythms within a game that’s already brutal on the schedule. Taking a long, intercontinental flight while also trying to heal from the previous week or squeeze in just a bit of family time can take its toll, especially with jet lag. In addition, teams also lose an important home game in their own community.
Fortunately for the Chiefs, none of this will be a concern in 2018. The Chiefs will have a full slate of home games at Arrowhead this next season and won’t have to worry about crossing the pond. However, two of their rivals in the AFC West will have to do just that.
It will be interesting to see how the Oakland Raiders and Los Angeles Chargers both handle the travel and experience in hosting a London game. While it’s likely good for the team brand to go over and stoke the competitive fires in front of new fans, both teams will also have to adjust their operations considerably during those weeks to make up for the lack of rest or the change in routine.
Coming in the middle of the season in October, it’s likely that each team will enjoy a bye week either before or after their London trip.