NFL announces Chiefs vs. Chargers will open Thursday Night Football in Week 2

The NFL announced that the Kansas City Chiefs will host the Chargers to open Thursday Night Football on the schedule in Week 2.

The National Football League was supposed to wait until the middle of May before announcing the 2022 regular-season schedule, but a lucrative new deal with Amazon as the streaming home for Thursday Night Football broadcasts this season led to a special announcement in the top half of the first round that revealed the opener.

Former Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzalez, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, took to the podium to announce the new Amazon deal and to state that the Kansas City Chiefs would be the host team for the first TNF game of the year. Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler was beside him to help make the announcement, given that the Bolts are the visiting team.

The first Thursday Night Football broadcast will be in Week 2 this season and this will be the Chiefs’ home opener. This means Kansas City will open the year on the road against a currently unidentified opponent.

It’s a bit odd to make a schedule announcement like this in the midst of the draft, but the league’s new contract agreement with Amazon has brought millions more into the league and it’s not surprising that they want to do well for their new streaming partner in the first year. Thus, the first round was halted between picks No. 11 and 12 in order to break the news.

The Chiefs and Chargers is always a must-watch game and this home contest should please Amazon with exciting returns on the field and ratings off of it.