Jim Nantz won’t be on the call when the Buffalo Bills host the Kansas City Chiefs on Thanksgiving night this season. Although marquee AFC matchups between the two teams usually air on CBS, often with Nantz and Tony Romo in the booth, this year’s game will be broadcast on NBC instead. The matchup is also a familiar playoff staple on CBS due to the network’s AFC coverage. In an exclusive interview with Jimmy Traina, Nantz admitted he’ll miss calling one of the NFL’s biggest rivalries.

“That’s the rivalry of its time,” Nantz told Sports Illustrated’s Jimmy Traina on Thursday. “But, you know, you’re not going to get it every year. So, I’m O.K. with it. I have faith we’re going to get a very good schedule. I kind of had a sinking feeling that one of these years, somebody else was going to get the chance to have that great matchup. It’s O.K.”

It’ll definitely feel a little different not hearing Jim Nantz open the Chiefs vs. Bills game with his signature “Hello Friends,” a phrase NFL fans have connected with so many big moments over the years. Still, the matchup is in great hands with NBC, as Mike Tirico will handle play-by-play duties. Tirico is widely respected as one of the best broadcasters in sports, so fans can still expect a top-tier broadcast for one of the season’s biggest games.

With Jim Nantz not calling the Chiefs vs. Bills matchup this season, he said he’s excited about the chance to get a closer look at the Denver Broncos during the upcoming year.

“I’ve looked at the opponents’ schedule so many times to know the matchups that are out there, and I still play it kind of by the old rules of the AFC network traveling with the AFC teams. But all bets are off on that now because there are so many crossflexes,” Jim Nantz added. “I know, for example, that Denver is gonna have a very, very attractive schedule. There’s a game that, again, going on the old basis of traveling with the AFC team, I know there’s a Denver game at San Francisco. I’d love to have that. I haven’t done a game in that stadium.”

Since 2020, Nantz, Romo, and Tracy Wolfson have called nine of the 10 games between Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen, including all four playoff matchups.

Nantz remains hopeful that he will get another chance to cover the rivalry.

“To me, it’s the rivalry of this time. And I don’t even think it’s close,” Jim Nantz said. “Patrick just turned 30 in September. Josh is 29 years old. I saw Peyton and Tom clash in their 40s. So I’m going to take another decade of this, that’s for sure.”

Their calls have been attached to some of the most memorable moments of this rivalry and some massive television numbers, too.

In fact, the last three CBS broadcasts featuring these two teams drew massive audiences and made NFL television history. One became the most-watched divisional playoff game in NFL history at the time. The other managed to become the most-watched game on CBS outside of holiday games since 2007. The AFC championship was watched by 57.7 million viewers.

While the broadcast team may look different this season, Buffalo’s schedule itself is loaded with marquee moments.

Bills land two major holiday matchups in 2026 NFL schedule

The Buffalo Bills will have quite an eventful schedule for their 2026 NFL season due to holidays, with some interesting matchups. Buffalo will play on both Thanksgiving and Christmas this year, with two major AFC showdowns scheduled for national audiences.

The most exciting matchup on the schedule is definitely the already-mentioned Thanksgiving night game between the Bills and the Chiefs, which takes place at 8:20 p.m. This will be the very first Thanksgiving home game in Bills history, as well as their first game on the holiday since playing against the Lions in 2022.

It seems like Buffalo has always had good fortune when it comes to games on the Thanksgiving Day holiday, as the team holds a record of 6-4-1 on that holiday and is undefeated with Josh Allen at quarterback against Dallas, New Orleans, and Detroit.

Some initial concerns were raised about Patrick Mahomes’ availability to play against the Bills after suffering a torn ACL on December 14, 2025. However, since the game is being held late in November, Pro Football Network has indicated that “the injury should no longer be an issue.”

The game will be even more exciting, as it will take place at Buffalo’s brand-new Highmark Stadium, where people will have the chance to see the Chiefs-Bills rivalry in their new venue.

This is not the only time Buffalo will be playing during the holidays this season, as they will play their very first-ever game on Christmas Day against the Denver Broncos. It is set to begin at 4:30 p.m., will be a rematch of last season’s AFC Divisional Round meeting, and will air exclusively on Netflix.