If anyone was looking for proof that the NFL is not taking any single player's recovery timeline from injury in mind when creating a new regular-season schedule, look no further than the newly announced Sunday Night Football game for Week 2.
The Indianapolis Colts will be visiting the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 2 for an early primetime showcase for NBC, further evidence that the powers-that-be aren't paying any attention to individual injury concerns. The news comes after K.C.'s season-opener against the Denver Broncos, also at Arrowhead, was announced earlier this week.
For the Chiefs, the Colts' news means they're slated to open the year with back-to-back primetime showcases, even with the potential of quarterback Patrick Mahomes potentially missing early contests due to an ongoing rehabilitation of a surgically repaired LCL and ACL.
The NFL doesn't seem to mind that Week 2's primetime showcase on SNF could be a clash of backup quarterbacks.
But Mahomes isn't the only figure who could miss the game. In fact, it's a strong bet that Indy will also be without their franchise face. The Colts doubled down on Daniel Jones as their long-term vision at quarterback this offseason despite the fact that he's trying to return from a severe Achilles tear. Not only is Jones unlikely to be ready by the season opener, but it's very possible he misses the entire first month of the year.
In this case, that means the Chiefs will get to tee off on either Riley Leonard or Anthony Richardson in front of a national audience. That could be very good news for a young defense that's experienced significant turnover and will need the better part of the fall schedule to come together. That said, the Colts have a bevy of bright young skill position talent and some strong defensive pieces, so rushing to judgment could be a mistake.
Chiefs Kingdom can take heart knowing that every report about Mahomes' progress has been positive. From Andy Reid's assurance that Mahomes is doing well to James Palmer's recent update that signs are "all pointing towards him playing in Week 1," the buzz has been strong since his offseason surgery. But nothing is guaranteed which is why the Chiefs will make sure Fields is ready as well.
Either way, the NFL has decided that its broadcast partners will be happy with the Colts-Chiefs in Week 2, even if that means an Anthony Richardson versus Justin Fields matchup is possibly in the cards. It's the power of the product, knowing that viewers will tune in no matter
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