London., The NFL’s aggressive international growth could include a Super Bowl outside the United States for the first time, commissioner Roger Goodell said Saturday. He had previously rejected the idea, but has now indicated at a fan forum in London that it is a possibility.
“Traditionally we always try to play the Super Bowl in a city with an NFL — it’s always a bonus for cities that have an NFL franchise,” he said in response to a question about moving the game to a neutral international venue. “But things change. “I wouldn’t be surprised if it happens one day.”
Goodell suggested the idea while unveiling a plan to hold 16 international games each year if the regular season expands to 18 games. He added that there is “no doubt” that Ireland will receive a game soon. He also pointed to Rio de Janeiro as a possible host city and that the Jacksonville Jaguars have considered increasing their number of games in London during the renovation of their stadium.
This season’s Super Bowl will be played in New Orleans. In 2026 it will be Levi Stadium in Santa Clara, California, followed by SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California in 2027. Kansas City’s 25-22 overtime victory against San Francisco in the last Super Bowl was the most watched program in history of American television.
Team owners have already authorized eight international games, but Goodell indicated they could double the number — creating a scenario in which all 32 teams would play international games each year. The key is to extend the regular season one more game and reduce the number of preseason games to two.
“If we expand the season—the regular campaign—with an 18-2 structure, I think we can reach 16 of those games in international markets,” said the commissioner. He added that the plan includes a second rest week on the calendar.
“A lot of it depends on — continuing to make the game safer so we can continue to modify how we do the offseason and training camps, as well as the season so that guys feel comfortable playing in that period of time,” he said.
Under this scenario, he added, the season could begin around Labor Day in the United States (first weekend in September) and conclude on President’s Day — the third Monday in February. It seems inevitable that it will reach 18 games. The players union has said it is open to reaching an agreement before the current labor contract expires after the 2030 season.
This season there are five international duels and Goodell confirmed that they want to expand to eight “quickly.” Dublin is seen as the possible next host — after Madrid hosts its first game in 2025.
“I have no doubt that we are going to play in Ireland. I don’t know if it will be next year, but it’s coming,” Goodell warned during a forum with fans at Tottenham Stadium.
He cited Rio de Janeiro as a possible venue for Brazil’s next game — Sao Paulo hosted one at the start of this season.
London has hosted regular season games since 2007 and Germany since 2022. “We are looking for other markets in another direction, towards Asia,” he indicated. “There is possibly more interest than we can handle.”
Goodell expects some changes to be made to the new punt rule, but overall “it’s working.” The new rule made the kickoff a relevant play again and the initial injury information is promising, he said.
Just over 30 percent of kicks have been returned this season compared to 20 percent last year.
“With that increase we have more information to determine if we can do it more safely.
It really is promising. We are seeing less impact and that has led to fewer serious injuries and a lower number of injuries. So I think it is working,” the commissioner commented.
On average, kick plays are starting at the 29-yard line compared to the past when they started at the 24. “I think what we’ll see in the end is a change in the offseason,” he added. “Once we know if it’s a safer play, we’ll encourage more punts. That could happen in several ways. We could move the kick line back so they are less likely to kick out. I could also change the penalty for kicking out to be at the 35 yard line instead of the 30.”
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