While it’s not official and won’t be known for some time, the Detroit Lions are expecting to play an international game in the 2026 NFL season. Team president Rod Wood made that clear in his press conference this week during the NFL meetings in Palm Beach.
Wood noted the team’s strategic marketing initiative with Germany and the fact that star wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown was born in Germany and remains wildly popular there.
“I think it’s highly likely,” Wood told reporters. “I would think that one of those nine could be an international game. I’ve talked to the league a little bit about it. We’re certainly overdue, and with the markets that we’ve now taken some marketing interest in, certainly playing in Germany with St. Brown would be an interesting thing to think about.”
The Lions have an extra home game in the 2026 season due to the rotation of the 17-game schedule. That game could very well be played in Germany.
The Lions haven’t played overseas since the 2015 season under head coach Jim Caldwell. Detroit was slated to play in London in the 2020 season, but the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out the international slate that year.
This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: Rod Wood: It’s ‘highly likely’ the Lions will play an overseas game in 2026
Reporting by Jeff Risdon, Lions Wire / Lions Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
