CNN —
The NFL has announced Atlanta as the host city for the AFC championship game should the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs meet in the conference title game.
Earlier, NFL owners approved the unprecedented postseason plan to host a game at a neutral venue after the Bills’ Jan. 2 game against the Cincinnati Bengals was canceled.
The game was first suspended and then postponed after Damar Hamlin collapsed and went into cardiac arrest.
The postseason scenario was instituted because the Bills had played one game fewer than the Chiefs and did not have a fair opportunity to secure the AFC No. 1 pick.
Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta will host the game should the two teams clash.
“We are encouraged by Damar Hamlin’s continued improvement and progress in his recovery, and Damar and his family remain a voice for the entire NFL community,” said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell Thursday.
“We are also grateful to Arthur Blank and the Atlanta Falcons for agreeing to host the AFC Championship Game in Atlanta should the Bills and Chiefs advance. We thank these two clubs for their support in the planning process.”
The NFL announced Thursday that the league had designated Atlanta as a potential venue for postponed postseason games ahead of the season’s start.
The NFL noted that Atlanta is “nearly equidistant from the cities of both potential participating teams.”