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NFL announces five international games for next season

frank schwab
NFL writer
Cheerleaders line up before a game between Tennessee Titans and Los Angeles Chargers at Wembley Stadium last year. (AP)
Cheerleaders line up before a game between Tennessee Titans and Los Angeles Chargers at Wembley Stadium last year. (AP)

Even though this season isn’t finished yet, the NFL’s never-ending obsession with international games can’t wait.

On Monday morning the NFL, which hadn’t said anything publicly about an officiating fiasco in the Los Angeles Rams-New Orleans Saints NFC championship game, announced five international games for next season. Four games will be going to the United Kingdom, and the NFL will send one to Mexico City despite having to move Kansas City Chiefs-Rams back to Los Angeles due to poor field conditions in Mexico last year.

No specific dates were announced for the five games, but it’s one of the first steps in putting together the schedule for next season.

Four NFL games going to London

Here is the full slate for the games in the UK and Mexico:

At least we know the location of one of the Raiders’ home games. We’re almost to Super Bowl LIII and there is still no definitive word on where the Raiders will play in 2019. There has been speculation about the Raiders possibly playing all their home games in London, and given the NFL’s infatuation with shipping its games overseas, it seems possible the league might like that option.

Having the Los Angeles Rams go to London is a highlight. The Rams won the NFC championship on Sunday and should be one of the best teams in the NFL next season too.

Another interesting tidbit, from Jenna Laine of ESPN: One of the stipulations of the NFL awarding Tampa Bay a Super Bowl was the Buccaneers going to London, which they will do in 2019. Tampa Bay will host Super Bowl LV in two years.

Mexico City gets another chance

The NFL had already committed to going back to Mexico City next season, even after terrible field conditions at Estadio Azteca caused the league to move the scheduled Chiefs-Rams game back to Los Angeles.

The league is sending an attractive game there too. The Los Angeles Chargers and Chiefs are AFC West rivals, fought for first place in the division this season and should again be contenders next season. It could be a huge game. It’s also a significant disadvantage for the Chargers, who have a home game taken away from them, with a neutral-site game replacing a road game for the Chiefs, but the NFL has never cared much about the fairness of its regular-season scheduling as it gives games to England or Mexico.

If you’re a fan of one of the 30 teams not in Super Bowl LIII, Monday’s announcement of the 2019 international games at least is a sign that next season isn’t all too far off.

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Frank Schwab is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

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