The Week 16 contest between the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers is moving game days and into prime time, the first-ever flex on the “Thursday Night Football” schedule on Amazon Prime Video.
Making way for the AFC West clash, which could have a bearing on the postseason schedule, is the AFC North game between the Cleveland Browns and the host Cincinnati Bengals. The two sub-.500 teams now will play Dec. 22 at 1 p.m. ET, flexed out of the Dec. 19 slot, giving the Broncos and Chargers the Thursday night spotlight from Inglewood, Calif.
The league announced the switch on Friday.
In May 2023, NFL owners approved moving a maximum of two Thursday night games scheduled in Weeks 13 through 17. It was to be a trial program for the 2023 season but extended to 2024 if no games were flexed in the earlier year. None were.
Entering Week 12 play, both the Chargers (7-3) and the Broncos (6-5) sit in wild-card position, with the Kansas City Chiefs (9-1) penciled into a spot as well as leaders of the AFC West.
The Bengals (4-7) have a playoff probability of 13 percent, while the chances of the Browns (3-8) stand at less than 1 percent, according to the NFL.
Both teams already have played a Prime Video game this season. The Bengals lost to the Baltimore Ravens 35-34 in a Lamar Jackson vs. Joe Burrow classic on Nov. 7, while the Browns beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 24-19 after scoring a touchdown on a snow-covered field in Cleveland on Thursday.
Under the agreement struck with owners, the NFL can flex games by giving teams at least 28 days’ notice.
The leaves only the Week 17 game scheduled between Seattle and Chicago on Dec. 26 eligible to be flexed. Entering Week 12 play, the Seahawks are 5-5 and the Bears sit 4-6.
The most attractive option on the schedule for a potential flex is the showdown between NFC North rivals Green Bay and Minnesota. The Packers (7-3) and Vikings (8-2) currently are in wild-card position.
