That’s the glorious, world-encompassing dream. Could it establish a permanent presence in Europe? (Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports) The NFL visits other countries, like Germany, throughout the season. Flying time between, say, London and Munich is less than the flying time between Atlanta and Philadelphia.Ĭombine that with three lengthy “road” (really, transoceanic) trips - throw in a Thursday game on one end to shorten the overall length - plus a U.S.-based home-away-from-home, and the schedule-making aspect of a European expansion starts to become a little more manageable. ”In London, where we’ve been for a long time, and now in Germany, we’re making sure we’ve got the stadium partners, the governmental partners, and the fan support to sustain that possibility.”įrom a purely logistical perspective, multiple teams on-continent at once is a solid idea: each team could knock off a third of its schedule without even leaving the continent. “I think what we are focused on is building capacity so if there were that opportunity - whether a club wanted to consider relocation or potentially looking at expansion - we are in that mode,” NFL Executive VP of club business, international, & league events Peter O’Reilly told Front Office Sports. There are already two NFL-ready stadiums in London - Wembley and Tottenham Hotspur - and at least one in Germany, with recent upgrades to stadiums in Paris and Rome putting them in the (purely hypothetical) mix as well. Pro Football Talk hypothesizes a scenario where two existing teams and two expansion teams set up permanent residence in Europe. How would such a drastic change to the NFL’s America-centric business model work? Expansion, baby, expansion. Let's take that wildly optimistic statement at face value and play it out. “We don’t know if it’s going to happen in two years, five years or whenever,” the club owner said, “but there’s going to be an international division.” Front Office Sports reports that an unnamed NFL franchise owner indicated that there are already much bigger plans in the works. The endgame here could be something more than just a single team setting up shop in Europe. Put it this way: There’s a reason the NFL is staging games in England, Germany and Mexico rather than Memphis, St. Since 2013, multiple games have taken place on foreign soil, with six played last year and five scheduled for this year. Cardinals QB Kyler Murray looks to improve upon his play from last season after a disappointing end.The NFL has had an eye on the European market - and the lucrative international TV market - for years the league has played at least one game outside American borders every year since the 2007 season, with the exception of 2020. NFC showdown was awarded to CBS on the TV schedule, as the Arizona Cardinals head to Nashville to take on the Tennessee Titans. Dan Campbell will bring a new physical identity to the Lions, but will it be enough against a strong 49ers roster? Arizona Cardinals at Tennessee Titansįirepower galore, this game will be a treat. They head to Detroit to take on the Lions, who are starting a new regime of their own. However, Kyle Shanahan gets countless starters back on both offense and defense. Rookie QB Trey Lance showed sparks in the preseason but still needs some refinement. San Francisco QB Jimmy Garoppolo gets the start for the 49ers…for now. Burrow reunites with his top LSU receiver, Ja’Marr Chase, who has had a tumultuous offseason himself after being selected fifth overall by Cincinnati in the 2021 NFL Draft. Playing just three snaps in the preseason, word out of Cincinnati is that the former Heisman Trophy winner is ready to go. This NFL game today sees Bengals QB Joe Burrow return following his brutal knee injury in Week 11 last season. Can the additions on offense be enough to get the Steelers back on track? Minnesota Vikings at Cincinnati Bengals They too were once AFC leaders under their current signal-caller. The Bills are ready to show they can compete with Kansas City as top dogs in the AFC, but don’t expect the Steelers to give in without a fight. The receiving corps stays intact for QB Ben Roethlisberger, but will drops continue to be a problem for the unit? Meanwhile, the Bills will look to go one step further behind the arm of Josh Allen.Ī fantastic Week 1 matchup that could be revisited in the postseason. Pittsburgh added an offensive weapon in Najee Harris. Two teams with high expectations in the AFC this season, the Steelers head to Buffalo to take on QB Josh Allen and the Bills.
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