Kansas City Chiefs president Mark Donovan has publicly revealed two key scheduling requests for the 2026 NFL season: a road game in Spain against the Atlanta Falcons and a home game on Christmas Day. The team has emphasized these preferences in discussions with the league. Owner Clark Hunt indicated the Chiefs are unlikely to open the season in Seattle due to Patrick Mahomes' injury recovery.
Mark Donovan, president of the Kansas City Chiefs, disclosed the team's aggressive scheduling wishes ahead of the 2026 NFL schedule release. The Chiefs want to play as the visiting team in the NFL's game in Spain, hosted by the Atlanta Falcons. 'We've been very open and aggressive with the league -- as we have been since the beginning -- that we want to play in Spain this year,' Donovan said, according to the Kansas City Star. 'We think it would be a great market, game [and] matchup.' The Chiefs hold marketing rights in Spain, alongside the Miami Dolphins and Chicago Bears, bolstering their case among the Falcons' home opponents, which include the Chiefs, Bears, Ravens, Bengals, Panthers, Saints, Buccaneers, Lions and 49ers. NFL broadcast executive Mike North noted the Bengals as a possible alternative, citing Joe Burrow's interest in playing there. The Chiefs have recent international experience, including games in Germany in 2023 and Brazil in 2025. Donovan also expressed a desire for a Christmas Day game at home, marking a potential fourth straight year. 'We'd love to play on Christmas,' he said via ESPN. 'We respect that the league wants to spread it around. We get it. Right now, we expect to be in a lot of prime-time games. We've made it pretty clear that our preference is to play at home on Christmas.' With Christmas on a Friday in 2026 and three games planned, the NFL may accommodate the request. Separately, Clark Hunt said the league is unlikely to schedule the Chiefs against the Seattle Seahawks in the season opener on September 9, due to uncertainty over Mahomes' readiness following his ACL tear in December. 'I don't think that's on the table anymore,' Hunt stated. 'I think from a league standpoint, there would be some concern whether [Patrick Mahomes] would be ready to go.' Mahomes aims for a Week 1 return.
