Bengals’ Joe Mixon: It’s disrespectful of NFL to be already selling Chiefs-Bills tickets

The Cincinnati Bengals got a little extra motivation this week heading into their Divisional playoff game against the Buffalo Bills.

Because of the possibility of a neutral site AFC Championship Game in Atlanta, the NFL put tickets for a potential Chiefs-Bills game on sale this week.

That was expected because both teams already were selling AFC Championship Game tickets for their home stadiums. Buffalo would be the host if it beats the Bengals and the Jaguars top the Chiefs.

However, Bengals players were not happy to see the NFL put tickets up for sale before the two AFC Divisional playoff games, which will be held Saturday in Kansas City and Sunday in Buffalo.

Marshall Kramsky of WCPO-TV asked Bengals running back Joe Mixon about tickets for a potential Bills-Chiefs game in Atlanta, and if that was motivation for the Bengals. Kramsky said he’d heard the Bengals players brought it up in meetings.

“To be honest, it’s disrespectful, but we’re not worried about that (stuff),” Mixon said Wednesday. “Like I said, we got a game to play on Sunday, right? So you can’t count us out. We got a game to play on Sunday. Like I said, that other stuff, that don’t mean (anything).

“We’re gonna go out there on Sunday and we’re gonna do what the hell we got to do to come back with that dub (win). And then we’re going to see what they’re talking about.”

If Cincinnati wins, the Chiefs would host the Bengals again in the AFC Championship Game on Jan. 29, should KC beat Jacksonville.

The Bengals would be host if they beat the Bills and the Jaguars knock off the Chiefs. Tickets for that potential game in Cincinnati are not currently on sale.

Perhaps Mixon and his teammates can take some comfort in knowing some Chiefs fans had difficulty purchasing tickets for a potential AFC Championship Game in Atlanta before a glitch was fixed, according to Fox 4.