The 2025 NFL schedule will be released on Wednesday but one marquee matchup has already been reportedly leaked. According to Front Office Sports' Eric Fisher, the Los Angeles Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs will be facing off in Sao Paolo, Brazil on Sept. 5.
If come Tuesday, when the international game is expected to be announced, that report ends up being true, it'll be a surprising decision made by the Chargers.
For those that are wondering why the Chargers have any control over their own schedule instead of the league office, teams that are selected to be the "home" team in an international matchup can decide which two visitors it does not want to face on foreign soil.
Chargers' schedule gamble could pay dividends against AFC West-rival Chiefs
According to Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio, Los Angeles supposedly decided to protect home games against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Washington Commanders or Philadelphia Eagles instead of a massive in-division game against Kansas City. It should be noted, the Chargers' protections have not been confirmed but all should be revealed in the coming days.
Chiefs fans may be annoyed that their team will have to make a draining trip to Brazil that could have been easily avoided but perhaps that was the Chargers' intention the whole time. They've lost eight consecutive home games to Kansas City since moving to Inglewood. A change in scenery could do them some good.
While it's not guaranteed the Chargers will have the advantage in the Southern hemisphere, head coach Jim Harbaugh may be trying an unorthodox tactic to gain that edge. Knowing him, he'll have the team practicing in the humidity of Florida the week before with pumped in crowd noise from the latest River Plate-Boca Juniors derby match.
It'll be a risky gamble but boy, what a legend Harbaugh and the team would become if it pays off.