There’s a new possible hurdle for the Cincinnati Bengals in 2023 after the NFL approved a rule change this week that will allow teams to be flexed into primetime Thursday night games.
In a nutshell, the NFL can now flex teams in games between Weeks 13 and 17 out of the Thursday slot, pulling in games currently scheduled for Sundays during that window to move — as long as the NFL provides the moving teams 28 days’ notice.
The game’s eligible to be moved out of Thursday night games:
- Week 13 – Dallas at Seattle
- Week 14 – Pittsburgh at New England
- Week 15 – San Francisco at Seattle
- Week 16 – Los Angeles Rams at New Orleans
- Week 17 – Cleveland at New York Jets
Teams aren’t allowed to play in more than two Thursday games per season and the Bengals already have one in Week 11 against the Ravens on the road.
As for that Week 13-17 window, the Bengals play on a Monday night in Week 13, so the Week 14 game won’t be moved. And they play in Week 16 on Saturday, December 23rd in Pittsburgh for what is technically a primetime game. Week 17 is the visit to Arrowhead against the Chiefs on New Year’s Eve, which also won’t get moved.
Cincinnati’s Week 15 home game against the Vikings that was already listed as a TBD could very well get flexed into a Thursday slot. But that week already has some premier divisional games and Cincinnati’s is merely a cross-conference affair.
At least for this year, the rule change shouldn’t have a big impact on the Bengals.
