Super Bowl 2021: 13 Percent of NFL Fans Believe Chiefs vs. Buccaneers Game Is Invalid, According to Study

Super Bowl LV will feature the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. And while the majority of fans are excited about the matchup (which can be watched for free), this is a small group of fans who think the game is not valid due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Lines.com surveyed 1,257 fans and 13% said the game is invalid. The 2020 NFL season included a reserve/COVID-19 list, schedule changes and no fans attending games, leading to a minority of fans believing the winner of Super Bowl 2021 shouldn’t be counted like past Super Bowl winners.

Lines.com also broke down the survey by which team the fans support. Twenty-five percent of Denver Broncos fans believe the Bucs and Chiefs game is invalid — the most out of any NFL team. On the flip side, only 5% of Bucs fans think the game is not valid, the least of the 32 teams. Of the Chiefs fans who were surveyed, 11.3% believe the 2021 Super Bowl doesn’t count, which placed them in the middle.

For the Broncos, it makes sense a good percentage of fans think the Super Bowl would be invalid. The pandemic made an impact on the franchise as they had to have a wide receiver play quarterback for one game due to the quarterbacks on the roster being ruled out as Jeff Driskel tested positive for the virus while Drew Lock, Brett Rypien and Blake Bortles were deemed close contracts. The Broncos lost the game and finished the season with a 5-11 record.

Considering the circumstances, the NFL was able to pull off a memorable season. Not having fans was very different, but there will be 25,000 fans present at the Super Bowl. Additionally, no games were canceled and the season was was able to start on time. And to help honor health care workers, the NFL is inviting 7,500 of them to the championship game, and they will be vaccinated.

“Florida is proud to host Super Bowl LV at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa to crown the champion of an unprecedented NFL season,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a statement. “On behalf of Floridians and football fans across the nation, I’d like to thank the many men and women who worked hard to make this game a reality, especially our frontline health care workers who have worked tirelessly over the past year to keep people safe. I look forward to the positive impact this game will have on the Tampa Bay area, and my family and I can’t wait for the big game!”