CINCINNATI — The Bengals will no longer play on Sunday Night Football during Week 11, the NFL announced.
Instead, the AFC West matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers was moved to the 8:20 p.m. slot on Nov. 20. Bengals-Steelers was moved to 4:25 p.m. on CBS.
The NFL started implementing a flexible schedule for Sunday Night Football in 2006 to make sure "quality matchups" were played on prime time. The league allows flex schedules twice between Weeks 5-10 and then again between Weeks 11-17.
Cincinnati doesn't appear phased by the change, posting on social media a clip of quarterback Joe Burrow talking about how he does not care when or where he plays with the caption, "Our official statement in response to being flexed out of Sunday Night Football."
"I don't care about any of that," Burrow said in a video from a previous press conference. "I'll play at 6 a.m., in the middle of the field somewhere, I don't care."
Our official statement in response to being flexed out of Sunday Night Football. pic.twitter.com/CMkGBBZ571
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) November 8, 2022
The Bengals have already been on prime time on several occasions this season. The team faced the Ravens on Sunday Night Football on Oct. 9, losing on a last-second field goal by Justin Tucker. The Bengals also played the Dolphins and Browns during Monday Night Football and Thursday Night Football, respectively.
Week 11 was not the last time Bengals fans would have seen their favorite team play at night. Cincinnati hosts the Buffalo Bills Monday, Jan. 2 at 8:30 p.m. on WCPO 9.
