NFL News Roundup - Chiefs owner breaks silence over stadium relocation plans; League issues major rejig for 2022 season schedule and more - 24 April 2022
With the 2022 NFL Draft now just days away, fans are hoping for their team to hit the jackpot and pick a future superstar. But that doesn't mean that the focus has shifted from the daily proceedings of the league itself.
From blockbuster trades to potential stadium relocations, this offseason has been one to remember. So without further ado, we take a look at some of the biggest storylines from the league so far.
Three games set to be played on Christmas for 2022 NFL season
Christmas this year falls on a Sunday and the NFL is looking to take full advantage of that fact. Looking to cash-in on the opportunity, three games, including a primetime game, are set to take place on Christmas Day for the first time in the NFL's illustrious history.
While appearing on a podcast hosted by Sal Capaccio, NFL broadcasting VP Mike North confirmed the same:
“We’ll play one game on CBS in the afternoon, one game on Fox in the afternoon, and our regular Sunday night game on NBC... Christmas, when it falls on an NFL game day, we’ve had a lot of success there, all due respect to our friends at the NBA. It is something that our friends are interested in. If Christmas falls on a Sunday, it makes perfect sense.”
This could potentially hurt business for the NBA, which has been playing five games on Christmas. Even last year, the showdown between the Green Bay Packers and the Cleveland Browns held on the 25th of December averaged 28.6 million viewers.
NBA and NFL went head-to-head on Christmas. Results are in:
- 4:30 ET: Packers/Browns on FOX & NFL Network: 28.6M viewers
- 5:00 ET: Warriors/Suns on ABC: 5.1M viewers.
- 8:00 ET: Lakers/Nets on ABC & ESPN: 5.7M viewers
- 8:15 ET: Colts/Cardinals on NFL Network: 12.6M viewers
Kansas City Chiefs President refuses to rule out possibility of shifting to new stadium
Earlier in the season, Chiefs President Mark Donovan, while talking to TheRinger.com had said that the franchise was considering shifting base to the suburbs of Kansas City, Missouri.
This, of course, was something that didn't go down well with the Arrowhead faithful. In fact, Donovan's statement even prompted a response from the city mayor.
Kansas City has proudly hosted the Chiefs since the early 1960s. We look forward to working with the Chiefs, our state of Missouri partners, and local officials to ensure the Chiefs remain home in Kansas City and Missouri for generations to come. twitter.com/bykevinclark/s…
Donovan was again recently asked about the NFL franchise's stadium relocation plans, to which he responded rather unconvincingly for most Chiefs fans' liking:
“All of those are on the table. The perspective I want to give everybody is: Take a breath. We’ve got a lot of work to do.”
As per a report by the Kansas City Star, Donovan, though, reassured that a change in scenery wasn't coming anytime soon:
“We do have to look at, does it make sense to build new? But you can’t even have that discussion and really get serious about it until you know what you have. And that’s going to take awhile.”
Sooners unveil statue of Heisman winner Baker Mayfield during spring game
Perhaps no one has found themselves in a tougher spot over the course of this offseason than Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield. After his side traded for Deshaun Watson, fans knew that things were never going to be the same between Mayfield and the Browns front office.
But his college team, the Oklahoma Sooners, sure did remember to recognize the value of their Heisman-winning quarterback. During a special ceremony at the Sooners' spring game, the side unveiled a statue of Mayfield to commemorate his success as the team's starting quarterback.