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NFL Fans Have Plenty To Say About CBS Totally Disrespecting Potential Super Bowl Matchup Just To Favor Patrick Mahomes & Travis Kelce

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This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.

Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes playing against the Cardinals.
Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes. Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

CBS faces fresh criticism from NFL fans after its latest broadcast assignment. The network handed its top team to the Raiders-Chiefs matchup instead of Broncos-49ers. Both games sit in the 4:25 p.m. ET window on Sunday, yet one clearly received preferential treatment.

The decision quickly circulated online and sparked strong reactions. Many viewers argued the network chose star power and established narratives over the stronger on-field storyline.

Network Assigns Top Crew to Chiefs-Raiders

Sep 14, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker III (9) runs the ball against the Denver Broncos during the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Pro Football Talk reported the details on Tuesday. CBS selected Jim Nantz and J.J. Watt for the Raiders-Chiefs game rather than the Broncos-49ers contest. The choice stood out immediately because the 49ers remain undefeated while the Broncos sit at 2-1. That matchup carried clear Super Bowl implications for many observers.

According to the report, the Chiefs and Raiders both entered the week at 3-0. The AFC West rivalry also offered Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and the ongoing cultural attention that follows the Kansas City stars. Those factors apparently outweighed the potential for a high-stakes NFC clash featuring two strong teams.

Fans did not hold back once the news spread. Several voices framed the move as another example of the network leaning into familiar names at the expense of competitive balance.

“It’s because Patrick mahomes has these refs in this pocket so he just thinks he can call for his games to be on CBS more broncos 49ers should actually be the game of the day,” one fan wrote.

“One is a divisional game, so it makes sense, but Broncos Niners will be the more exciting game,” another noted.

“Cbs pulls #1 tv crew from donkey 49ers game. Cbs knows America loves chiefs and mahomes,” a third offered.

“Not the @NFL going back on trying to punish the @Raiders and not give any nationally televised games to sucking us off because of our record!” a fourth wrote.

Viewership Priorities Clash With Competitive Reality

Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce (Photo via Imagn Images)

The assignment also confirmed that Tony Romo’s leave of absence continues. Nantz and Watt remain the primary national voice for the network’s biggest games. That reality left little room for debate, although fans called for Romo to be reinstated again.

Both contests feature undefeated or near-undefeated teams, yet the perception of star power may have influenced the choice. Mahomes continues to draw national attention even in a rebound season for Kansas City. Kelce’s presence adds another layer of mainstream interest that networks have chased for years. The Broncos-49ers game offered a cleaner football story: two teams playing well with conference implications already forming.

The optics of elevating a 3-0 divisional game over a potential Super Bowl preview left many fans frustrated. The network’s decision reinforces how ratings considerations and recognizable names continue to shape which games receive the premier treatment.

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