Two AFC West hopefuls are getting an early-season gut check, as the Chiefs host the Chargers on the inaugural (regular season) Amazon Prime “Thursday Night Football” broadcast.
The Chargers are coming off a revenge game against the Las Vegas Raiders, having beaten them 24-19 behind a sterling day from Justin Herbert, who threw for three touchdowns on 26 of 34 passing for 279 yards.
Los Angeles, however, has its work cut out for it as the Chiefs remain the team to beat in the division. Kansas City throttled the Cardinals Sunday, winning 44-21 behind a characteristically outstanding day from Mahomes. The Chiefs will look to humble the Chargers, who have aggressively been looking to dethrone the six-time reigning AFC West champs.
Khalil Mack has already made waves to that end, logging three sacks in his debut. The Chargers may be shorthanded, however, with Keenan Allen looking doubtful to play. The Chiefs managed to thrive without Tyreek Hill in play, with Travis Kelce logging 121 yards and Mahomes hitting nine different receivers.
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The pressure is on in this early-season matchup that could have ramifications down the road, The Sporting News is tracking it all live.
Chargers vs. Chiefs score
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | F | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broncos | — | — | — | — | — |
| Chargers | — | — | — | — | — |
Chargers vs. Chiefs updates, highlights from “Thursday Night Football”
(All times Eastern)
What time is the NFL game tonight?
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- Date: Thursday, Sept. 15
- Time: 8:15 p.m. ET | 7:15 CT | 5:15 p.m. PT
The Chargers and Chiefs will kick off at 8:15 p.m. ET, 7:15 p.m. local time. The game will be played at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.
Where to watch Chargers vs. Chiefs?
- Live stream: Amazon Prime
Chargers vs. Chiefs will air exclusively on Amazon Prime after the company bought “Thursday Night Football” for a massive sum.
Why is Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime?
Starting in 2022 and running for at least the next 11 years, “Thursday Night Football” contests will be carried exclusively on streaming giant Amazon Prime Video.
Before the start of the 2017 NFL season, Amazon acquired non-exclusive streaming rights for several “Thursday Night Football” games during the year. It maintained those streaming rights through the 2021 season, allowing viewers to also watch games on the live streaming platform Twitch.
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In December 2020, The New York Post reported Amazon had become the frontrunner to snag the exclusive rights to carry games on Thursday night. In the post, Andrew Marchand reported TV networks had told the NFL that Thursday was a less-than-desirable night. The Disney/ESPN/ABC group had been discussed as a possible contender for Thursday, as was Apple.
On March 3, 2021, The Wall Street Journal reported Amazon was the likeliest home for “Thursday Night Football” games, with a deal likely to be done by the next week. It reported Amazon had been paying between $75 and $100 million.
The NFL announced on March 18, 2021 its latest slate of broadcast deals, noting that Amazon Prime Video would be the exclusive home of “Thursday Night Football” starting in 2023 through 2033. It was reported by Decider that Amazon’s deal with the NFL will pay the league $1 billion per year through the 2033 season. The deal comes with an increase from 11 “Thursday Night Football” games to 15.
Thursday Night Football Broadcast Team on Amazon Prime
Amazon and the NFL went out and landed two well-known announcers for the new Amazon Prime broadcast, bringing in the legendary play-by-play specialist, Al Michaels, and ESPN veteran analyst, Kirk Herbstreit.
Michaels joins “Thursday Night Football” after spending the last 16 years at NBC, working alongside Cris Collinsworth on the “Sunday Night Football” broadcast.
Herbstreit has been a college football analyst at ESPN since 1996, known for his presence on ESPN’s “College GameDay” and ABC’s “Saturday Night Football.”
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Kaylee Hartung will be joining Amazon as its “Thursday Night Football” sideline reporter. She is a veteran journalist who has experience both as a sideline reporter and a traditional news reporter. She has worked at CBS News, ESPN, CNN and ABC.
Charissa Thompson will anchor the star-studded lineup as the host of the pregame, postgame and halftime coverage of “Thursday Night Football.” In addition to her work with Amazon, Thompson will retain her job as a host for “Fox NFL Kickoff” during Fox’s NFL Sundays.
While not formally retired, Richard Sherman, the five-time All-Pro cornerback appears to be focusing on the next phase of his career as he joins Amazon’s studio crew less than a year after suiting up in five games for the Buccaneers.
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Over the course of his 11-year career, Sherman made a name for himself with his intensity between the lines and personality outside of the lines. That intensity and personality are sure to shine as he makes his formal television debut.
After a one-year hiatus from broadcasting, Tony Gonzalez, the Hall of Fame tight end is back on the airwaves as part of Amazon’s studio crew.
Gonzalez, who joined CBS’s NFL pregame show “NFL Today” immediately after retiring in 2013, spent four seasons with the network before joining Fox’s NFL pregame show in 2017, where he would work another four seasons before stepping away prior to the 2021 season to pursue acting roles.
How about some studio Fitzmagic?
Months after officially retiring from the game, Fitzpatrick brings 17 years of experience as an NFL quarterback to the studio. Similar to Sherman, this is an immediate field-to-booth transition for Fitzpatrick, who won the hearts of fans with his big moments — and bigger beard — as a player.
Fitzpatrick described the opportunity as “the right fit.”
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Jacob Camenker, Gilbert McGregor and Edward Sutelan contributed to this story.