Jan. 12 (UPI) -- Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium will serve as a neutral host site if both the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills advance to the 2023 AFC Championship Game, the NFL announced Thursday.
NFL owners approved a resolution Friday to adjust the AFC postseason after safety Damar Hamlin's on-field cardiac arrest resulted in the cancelation of the Buffalo Bills-Cincinnati Bengals game in Week 17.
The Bills entered that meeting with the possibility of catching the Kansas City Chiefs for the top seed, a first-round bye and home field advantage throughout the AFC postseason, but were denied the chance due to the cancelation.
The Chiefs will still play their divisional round game next weekend at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. The Bills will host the Miami Dolphins in a wild-card matchup Sunday at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y.
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Now, if both teams advance past the divisional round, neither will have the advantage of playing in their home city.
That potential matchup will kick off at 6:30 p.m. EST Jan. 29 at the Atlanta Falcons' home field.
All other potential AFC Championship matchups will occur in the higher-seeded team's home stadium. Meanwhile, Hamlin is at home recovering after he spent more than a week hospitalized in Cincinnati and Buffalo. The Bills announced Wednesday that Hamlin was discharged from Buffalo General Medical Center/Gates Vascular Institute.
He underwent a comprehensive medical evaluation and a series of cardiac, neurological and vascular testing Tuesday.
"We are heartened by the continued improvement and progress of Damar Hamlin in his recovery, and Damar and his family remain top of mind for the entire NFL community," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement 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 both of those clubs for their assistance in the planning process. We know, if necessary, Mercedes-Benz Stadium will provide a world class atmosphere for the competing teams, our fans and partners."
The San Francisco 49ers, the No. 2 seed in the NFC, will host the No. 7 Seattle Seahawks in the first game of the playoffs at 4:30 p.m. Saturday at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.
Super Bowl LVII will be held Feb. 12 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.
