So much for the Chicago Bears vs. Kansas Chiefs showdown in Germany.
The NFL shared the slate of 2023 NFL international games, and the Bears-Chiefs isn't one of them.
NBC Sports Peter King reported last week that the Chiefs protected their home game versus the Bears against international play.
The Bears-Chiefs game will be in Kansas City. Here are the NFL’s 2023 international games pic.twitter.com/0c4tcPkbab
— Kevin Fishbain (@kfishbain) May 10, 2023
I think this is good news for the Bears. Sure, they'll have to travel to Kansas City and play the Chiefs in one of the toughest stadiums in the league, but it's better than traveling overseas and coping with the wear and tear that can have on a player's body. It's also good that the Chicago Bears will experience a game in a place like Arrowhead Stadium. It'll be a playoff atmosphere against a team that should be the Super Bowl favorite. Yeah, it'll be a tough out. But iron sharpens iron, right?
Much like how young quarterbacks need reps on the field to improve their game, they also need to experience games in an environment like Kansas City. Justin Fields needs to feel that energy and the pressure of facing Patrick Mahomes in a sea of red. As important as it is for his own development, it's equally important for GM Ryan Poles and coach Matt Eberflus to gauge just how far their signal-caller has come.
Our friends overseas may not like this development. But the Chicago Bears are better off for not having to travel to Germany in 2023.