KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The NFL has approved flex scheduling for Thursday Night Football games during weeks 13-17, the league announced Monday.
Teams must get at least 28 days notice from the league office. Only two flexes are allowed all season and teams cannot play more than two TNF games in a season.
Teams also cannot play multiple away TNF games in a season.
This change will only be in effect for the 2023 season unless no games are flexed during the five-week stretch. If the TNF schedule stays the same this season, the option to flex games will apply to the following season.
The NFL’s decision means that TNF, Sunday Night Football and Monday Night Football will all have flex scheduling for the first time ever.
NBC, which has aired SNF since 2006, can begin flexing games as early as Week 5. The opportunity to flex MNF games can occur from Week 12 to Week 17.
Only Sunday afternoon games (or those listed as TBD) are eligible to be moved to Sunday night or Monday night.
Getting flexed into TNF will increase the maximum number of times a team can play during prime time from six to seven.
The reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs currently have just one TNF game on the docket, which is Week 6 against the Denver Broncos.
However, they have six primetime games in total, with the time and date of the team’s season finale against the Los Angeles Chargers still to be determined.
The season opener against the Detroit Lions will be played on Thursday, Sept. 7 during primetime but is technically under the SNF branding since it is being televised on NBC.
Given the current rules, Kansas City could get one more TNF game during Week 13 (Sunday, Dec. 3 at Green Bay Packers), Week 14 (Sunday, Dec. 10 vs. Buffalo Bills) or Week 17 (Sunday, Dec. 31 vs. Cincinnati Bengals).
The Chiefs’ Week 15 (at New England Patriots) and Week 16 (vs. Las Vegas Raiders) matchups would not be eligible for TNF flex scheduling due to both being held on a Monday.
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