NFL Network broadcaster publicly apologizes to Chiefs for doubting them this season
Before the season started, NFL Network host Rich Eisen was all-in on the Las Vegas Raiders.
Eisen wasn’t alone. Others saw the Raiders as a real threat to the Chiefs’ reign atop the AFC West. Las Vegas made the playoffs in the 2021 season and added star wide receiver Davante Adams.
On his “Rich Eisen Show,” Eisen talked up the Raiders and even picked their game-by-game outcomes back in July. Eisen had the Raiders winning the AFC West with a 12-5 record and saw the Chiefs rallying late just to secure a wild-card spot.
Instead, the Chiefs won the West with a 14-3 record and the Raiders were never in serious playoff contention, finishing with a 6-11 record.
This week, Eisen offered a mea culpa, apologizing directly to the Chiefs and their fans.
“Not only did I mean everything that I’m about to say,” Eisen said, “but I’m also trying to inoculate myself and insulate myself from every Chiefs fan I’m going to meet in Arizona for the worst take I’ve ever had in the history of this show: me looking at the Kansas City Chiefs and saying their reign atop the AFC West was over because the Las Vegas Raiders were going to take it.
“And I am sorry, Chiefs Nation. .... I am sorry, to every Kansas City Chiefs fan and every single person on the staff of the Kansas City Chiefs, certainly on the offensive side of the ball that I thought Tyreek Hill departing would knock them a peg down to a mere wild-card team, down to a team that would have to actually pack a bag and play a playoff game not named the Super Bowl in a place other than Arrowhead.
“I apologize because that was the worst take I’ve ever had. And I have learned my lesson. I should not doubt Big Red (Andy Reid) and all the red wearing Chiefs fans out there.”
Eisen then noted how Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce eviscerated Cincinnati’s mayor for picking the Bengals to win the AFC Championship Game. You may recall that Kelce used the word Jabroni to describe Cincinnati mayor Aftab Pureval.
“I don’t want to be that Jabroni,” Eisen said. “I mean, let’s just say back in the day I was holding the beer of the mayor of Cincinnati with my take that was god awful. Well, here’s the deal: I’m sorry.”
Eisen noted the Raiders started the season by losing three straight games, and later blew a 17-point lead on “Monday Night Football” and lost 30-29 to the Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
“I just want to be right. And when the Raiders started 0-3, and had a chance to not be 0-3 by actually beating the Kansas City Chiefs and being up in Kansas City by multiple touchdowns in that game and had the benefit of the worst roughing- the-passer penalty of 2022,” Eisen said. “And that’s saying a lot. When Chris Jones put Derek Carr on the ground and was called for landing on top of him, even though he could not have done that with his full body weight because he was too busy ripping the football out of Derek Carr’s arms in the process of sacking him and then using his off hand to support himself from not placing his body weight on top of Derek Carr.
“The Raiders even got the benefit of getting the ball back and still couldn’t beat the Chiefs. I am sorry.”
It was a heartfelt apology from Eisen, and you can see it here.
This story was originally published February 8, 2023 at 10:02 AM.
