Last month, Commissioner Roger Goodell said he has “no doubtthat the NFL will have a team based outside the United States.
Appearing on Prime Video’s Lions-Bills pregame show Thursday night, Goodell was asked how soon it will happen and where the team will be positioned.
“You know, it’s hard to say,” Goodell said. “I think if we continue to grow and continue to get the kind of response, I think a franchise will be international at some point in time. I think Europe is more likely, for many reasons. One, the length of time we’ve played there. But also the scheduling will be much easier. Australia could create some complications for us. But I also believe we can have more than one team.”
It would make sense to have two teams, especially if the first destination is London, which has two NFL-ready stadiums.
The lingering question is whether the current teams would move, or whether the league would expand.
Goodell has in the past hinted at a four-team European division. The best long-term vision might be four teams in Europe and four teams elsewhere (Brazil, Mexico, Australia and Japan).
Much of that hinges on the return of supersonic flight, a development the NFL is monitoring closely.
Yes, the league has dangled the carrot of an international team for years. Often, it’s about stimulating interest in the variety of games played in other countries. At this point, it really feels like it’s coming, eventually.