Green Bay Packers next international game will be sooner than expected
GREEN BAY – Green Bay Packers players and fans should get their passports in order. They will need them sooner than expected.
NFL owners in December expanded the potential number of international games beginning in 2025 so that every team could be required to host an overseas game every four years, in addition to possibly playing as a visiting team more often than that.
Teams designated to play in Europe this season include the Minnesota Vikings, the Chicago Bears, the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Carolina Panthers. The Packers have road games against the first three, which means they could be tabbed for another international game this season, although games against division opponents are not normally included. A game also will be played in São Paulo, Brazil, but teams for that contest have not been announced.
In 2021, the NFL required teams to play international games once every eight years, which ended the Packers' long overseas drought in 2022, when they played the New York Giants in London. They were the last team to play an international regular-season game.
By 2025, the NFL could play up to eight international games per year (nine counting Jacksonville, which has a separate deal to play in London). That could require half of the league's 32 teams to play internationally. None are required to play two international games in a season, although some have, such as Jacksonville in 2023.
The Packers have the same obstacle as always to playing internationally as the visiting team. Each club hosting an international regular season game can select two regular-season opponents to play only in their home stadium. The reason the Packers were the last NFL team to play a regular-season international game in 2022 was because they were regularly put on opponents' play-at-home lists. Teams did that because Packers fans travel so well they could be sure of full home stadiums when Green Bay came to town.
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"Our sense is the other teams will continue to be reluctant (to give up a home game against the Packers), as they have been in the past, but the possibility has increased with additional games," Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy said of Green Bay's chances of playing international games sooner rather than later.
Teams can be required to play international games in one of the years when they have nine home games in the NFL's unbalanced 17-game schedule. The NFC and AFC swap the ninth game every other year. This year the Packers have nine home games, but are not on the international schedule as a "home team," which means they could be in 2026.
If the NFL plays eight international games a year, the Packers could play overseas games in consecutive years. The Packers will play an international game when it's their turn, but they will not volunteer for such a game, and will not play fewer than eight games at Lambeau Field.
The Packers played the Giants at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Oct. 9, 2022. The Packers lost 27-22 after leading 20-10 at halftime, but otherwise felt the trip was a good experience. Fans thought so, too. Murphy said the Packers would like to play in Germany next time, if given a choice.
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Contact Richard Ryman at rryman@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @RichRymanPG, on Instagram at @rrymanPG or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RichardRymanPG.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Green Bay Packers next international game will be sooner than expected
