Jim Nantz always knew the day would come. The legendary CBS broadcaster had a feeling that the Chiefs-Bills rivalry—arguably the NFL's most electrifying matchup—would eventually slip out of his network's hands. And when the league handed the Thanksgiving night showdown to NBC for the 2026 season, Nantz wasn't surprised—just a little disappointed.
"That's the rivalry of its time," Nantz told Sports Illustrated's Jimmy Traina. "But you're not gonna get it every year. I kind of had a sinking feeling that one of these years, somebody else was gonna get the chance to have that great matchup. It's OK."
For fans of the game, this is more than just a scheduling shift—it's the end of an era. Since 2020, Nantz, Tony Romo, and Tracy Wolfson have been the soundtrack to Patrick Mahomes vs. Josh Allen, calling nine of their ten meetings, including every playoff clash. The chemistry between the CBS crew and this rivalry has been undeniable, with each broadcast feeling like a heavyweight title fight.
Last October, ahead of their eighth call, Nantz didn't hold back when comparing it to the golden age of football. "To me, it's the rivalry of this time. And I don't even think it's close," he told the Kansas City Star. "Patrick just turned 30. Josh is 29. I saw Peyton and Tom clash into their 40s. So I'm going to take another decade of this, that's for sure."
The numbers back up the hype. Their last three CBS broadcasts of the rivalry alone set records: the most-watched divisional playoff game in NFL history, the highest-rated regular-season CBS game since 2007 (excluding holidays), and an AFC Championship Game that pulled in a staggering 57.7 million viewers. Wolfson even joked that the crew felt like they had "residency" in Kansas City, covering eight Chiefs games and at least six Bills games each season.
While CBS fans might mourn losing this marquee matchup to NBC's Thanksgiving night slot, Nantz remains philosophical. After all, with Mahomes and Allen both still in their prime, this rivalry is far from over—and the NFL schedule always has a way of bringing the biggest games back around.