The NFL’s new scheduling rule, allowing the league to flex Thursday Night Football games late in the season, has drawn criticism across the sport from fans, players and media alike.
However, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and Eagles center Jason Kelce are big proponents of the league’s decision, even if it means that their respective team plays two Thursday Night games in one season.
“As we’ve talked about before, I’m a huge fan of the Thursday Night game,” Jason said on the duo’s New Heights podcast. “Listen, I am all for games being played on Thursdays because that means we have walkthroughs during the middle of the week and we don’t practice. Then we get three days off after the game.”
Travis agreed with Jason’s thinking.
“I’m a huge fan of them even later in the season too,” Kelce added.
One key reason why the NFL amended the rule was to get better games with playoff implications on the television schedule for Amazon later in the season. It’s all about appeasing the league’s broadcast partners, but more meaningful primetime football is never a bad thing, Jason argued.
“I just like good football being on primetime TV,” he said. “I don’t want to turn my Thursday night television on and have to watch a bad game. I like watching good football.”
Jason added that Thursday nights are one of the few nights during the season where he’s able to sit down and watch a game as a fan, given his obligation to the Eagles on Sundays.
With support and criticism alike, the league is pressing forward with its decision, which should lead to better football later in the season in primetime for the fans.
