NFL Schedule 2022: Russell Wilson, Broncos vs. Stafford, Rams Set for Christmas Day

CBS announced Tuesday one of the premier games on its 2022 schedule will see Russell Wilson and the Denver Broncos visit Matthew Stafford, Aaron Donald and the reigning Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams on Christmas Day.

A separate telecast will also air on Nickelodeon similar to the ones the kids network has run during the Wild Card Round of the NFL playoffs the last two years.

In April, NFL vice president of broadcasting Mike North confirmed on WGR 550 (via the Associated Press) the league would play a Christmas Day tripleheader for the first time despite the NBA's annual holiday slate.

"Christmas, when it falls on an NFL game day, we've had a lot of success there, all due respect to our friends at the NBA. It is something that our fans are interested in," North said. "If Christmas falls on a Sunday, it makes perfect sense."

The CBS game is scheduled for a 4:30 p.m. ET kickoff, which means it'll be the middle game sandwiched between a 1 p.m. Fox clash and an 8 p.m. NBC contest.

Having the Broncos travel to L.A. on Christmas also eliminates one of the contenders for the league's annual opening night game, which is hosted by the Super Bowl champs.

The remaining contenders for that Week 1 matchup are likely the Buffalo Bills, Dallas Cowboys, Las Vegas Raiders and San Francisco 49ers.

Meanwhile, the Broncos figure to have at least a few other prime-time games on their schedule following the arrival of Wilson from the Seattle Seahawks.

The nine-time Pro Bowl quarterback could find himself in the late-season MVP race on Christmas as he arrives to a passing offense with no shortage of weapons, led by Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, Tim Patrick and KJ Hamler.

Denver also plays in the tougher conference, as the AFC is littered with high-end QBs, so it could be fighting for its playoff life in the final weeks of the regular season.

The Rams return most of the key players from last season's title team. While they should cruise to the postseason, they may be battling for the NFC's No. 1 seed down the stretch.

Between the star power and the potential for the matchup to hold a lot of meaning for both sides, the game should deliver terrific ratings for CBS.