Why Are the Dolphins and Chiefs Playing in Germany?

When the NFL schedule was first released, the Kansas City Chiefs vs. Miami Dolphins matchup seemed intriguing. Beyond the Tyreek Hill factor, both clubs are more than capable of finding the end zone. Since then, though, things have gotten even more interesting.

Kansas City hasn't been firing on all cylinders, but the reigning Super Bowl champs are still standing tall at 6-2. Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce are an all-time duo, and the club's defense has stepped up in 2023. Elsewhere in the AFC, the Dolphins have been on fire. With Tua Tagovailoa is playing up to his potential, Hill and Jaylen Waddle torching defenses and a more-than-capable ground game, Miami surged to a 6-2 start.

And now, those two teams will meet in a must-see game...which bizarrely airs at 9:30 a.m. ET on Sunday, November 5.

That, of course, is because the game will take place in Germany. But how did one of the NFL's marquee matchups end up abroad? Let's break it down.

The NFL Wants to Speak to a German Fanbase

Let's start with the broader question: Why is the NFL playing a game in Frankfurt, Germany?

The simplest answer is that the league has been striving to grow its fanbase beyond American borders. The first international regular-season game took place in 2005, and the NFL International Series was launched in 2007. Over the years, games have taken place in England, Mexico and Germany.

While that third country is a relatively new addition to the slate—Tampa Bay and Seattle visited Munich in 2022, and there are two games in Frankfurt during the 2023 campaign—American football is somewhat of a proven commodity in Germany.

As Rodger Sherman laid out for The Ringer in 2022, there is a small contingent of German NFL players. The European Football League draws well in Germany, and during the 1990s and early 2000s, NFL Europe also found success in the country.

"[German football fans] want to be a part of something," Jim Tomsula, who's currently coaching the Rhine Fire, explained. "They are fanatical about it. The passion for it, the sacrifice...I got guys, they're coming after a hard day's work and they're lining the fields. I got our equipment manager. I'm not sure what his [day] job is. I didn't ask him. But he shows up to practice in a $180,000 BMW. I know he's got a good job. And he's running around with jocks and washing helmets and just smiling like nobody's business."

The NFL has also shared a similar perspective.

"We are reaching that state of maturity where you see fans are actively seeking out teams and are looking for teams that they can follow," Alexander Steinforth, the NFL's general manager for Germany, said according to an AP story. "That's why the market is so exciting for franchises to be active in because right now they have a massive opportunity to pick up fans."

With that in mind, putting some regular-season NFL games in Germany makes a bit more sense.

Why Are the Chiefs and Dolphins Playing Abroad?

Now that we've worked through why the NFL is sending teams to Germany, we can drill a bit further down. Why was the Chiefs-Dolphins game, one that would ordinarily be a primetime matchup, chosen for a change of time and location?

Well, in his weekly NBC Sports column, Peter King laid the framework out.

First, the Chiefs requested that their international game take place in Germany since they're one of the teams with global marketing rights there. And since the AFC teams have nine home games this year, 2023 was the logical time to send Kansas City abroad.

Beyond that, the NFL isn't going to send a divisional game overseas, so that takes three options off the Chiefs' schedule. KC also wanted to keep their visit from the Bears at Arrowhead, since that was Chicago's only visit to Missouri between 2016 and 2030.

After that, it became a guessing game. The Chiefs-Eagles game was obviously earmarked for primetime. At the time the schedule was constructed, games against Buffalo and Cincinnati seemed like safe bets to save for marquee windows.

The NFL also had "a fascination with the potential of the Lions" and placed them in the opening-night game. That only left one KC home matchup—yes, the one with the Miami Dolphins—as the one to go abroad.

How to Watch Dolphins vs. Chiefs

Even though it won't be at Arrowhead, NFL fans will still want to tune into a matchup between two of the AFC's top teams. But how can you watch the game?

Since they're playing abroad, the Chiefs and Dolphins will kick off at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, November 5. The game will air on the NFL Network; you can also catch the action on a variety of streaming platforms, like NFL+ and NFL Sunday Ticket; there are also some limited local TV options if you live within the Kansas City or Miami markets.

The oddsmakers also give KC the slight edge, with FanDuel Sportsbook listing the Chiefs as a 2.5-point favorite as of Tuesday, October 31. The Over/Under is also set at 50.5 points.