NEW YORK — Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium will be the neutral site if the Buffalo Bills and the Kansas City Chiefs meet in the AFC championship game on Jan. 29.
The NFL decided to put that potential matchup in a neutral city after the Bills’ game against the Cincinnati Bengals in the 17th week of the regular season was canceled.
The Chiefs (14-3) are the No. 1 seed in the AFC, but they played one more game than the second-seeded Bills (13-3). The league brokered the deal for a neutral site because the Bills could have been the top seed with a victory over the Bengals.
The Buffalo-Cincinnati game was halted in the first quarter on Jan. 2 when Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed after going into cardiac arrest and was resuscitated on the field. The NFL announced on Jan. 5 that the game would not be completed, and Hamlin was released from a Buffalo hospital on Wednesday.
The NFL said Thursday that Atlanta was designated as a potential backup postseason site before this season kicked off. All other potential matchups in the AFC title game will be played on the higher seed’s home field.