Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has the most diverse passport in the NFL, regardless of his trip to Egypt during mandatory minicamp in 2024 or wherever he goes to do ayahuasca. Rodgers, who did not play in a foreign country until 2022, has now started games in England, Ireland and France.
After Sunday’s 16-10 win over the Saints in Paris, Rodgers told reporters that the latest Collective Bargaining Agreement could have included a full international week, with 16 games in 16 foreign countries.
“The reach of the league is fantastic and I think I’ve always wanted to be a part of it,” Rodgers said, via Garrett Podell of CBS Sports. “I think it would have been phenomenal for the game. Now, the owners wanted to push for 17 games for the extra revenue because they care so much about the safety of the players, but it would have been nice.
Seventeen regular season games and a full week of international games are not mutually exclusive, on the surface. However, although Rodgers would presumably have been in favor of a full international week, many players would not be thrilled to play one game a year in a different country every year. (Although 16 international games seem inevitable in the next CBA.)
Rodgers still wants to see an international bye, even as he finishes what he insists will be his final NFL season.
“I think there’s a lot of room for expansion in these things,” Rodgers said. “It would be great to see them, you know, have an international week because I think it’s great for the game and the expansion of the game. And I wish there was a mandate, though, from the league (that) they’d have to open their pockets as well, and they’re probably a little tight on money and stuff. in those cities and field work and community work, but they won’t because they’re tight.
Although Rodgers and I don’t see eye to eye on various topics, I’ll agree with him wholeheartedly on this point. The league is, to put it mildly, extremely careful with money.
However, it is difficult to imagine all 16 international matches taking place in the same week. The early morning window for European games has the potential to become a complete broadcast package. Likewise, the banning of all 16 international matches would limit cities such as London to just two matches for the season – one at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and one at Wembley Stadium.
The end? Sixteen international matches are coming up. But it seems unlikely that all 16 international matches will be played in the same week.
