The NFL may literally never stop trying to grow. On Tuesday, a report was released that the league is considering the possibility of playing a game in Japan.
At this point, nothing is imminent, but the research is being done, and it is “absolutely something on the league’s radar.”
Believe it or not, if this ever does come to fruition, this wouldn’t be the first time that the NFL has played a game in Japan. Way back in 1976, the St. Louis Cardinals defeated the San Diego Chargers by a score of 20-10 in a preseason game. It was one of the first three international games ever played, but the first one that was on the other side of an ocean.
The NFL used to sprinkle in an international game once every few seasons until 2007, when they launched the NFL International Games Series, and they have played somewhere in Europe every year since.
For Cleveland, they have skipped the pond twice and played both of their international games in London and both of them against the Minnesota Vikings. The Browns are 0-2 in those games, with the most recent loss being a disgusting defeat at the hands of Carson Wentz.
For the NFL as a whole, they have expanded from just playing in London to all over the globe. In 2026, there will be games played in:
The NFL and the game of football went from being the biggest sport in America to trying to take over the world’s interest in American Football. One thing about Roger Goodell is that he will not stop, no matter what. If an idea or a campaign proves to be successful, he is always going to pour gasoline on the fire.
The International Games Series has proven to be a very good thing for just about everyone except for the players. It is an incredible nuisance for the teams and players as they have to factor travel into their weekly schedules, and then do the ridiculous travel.
For example, for San Francisco to fly to Melbourne as they will have to this year, that is nearly a 16-hour flight. That is truly insane for all players to have to experience.
Japan isn’t much better. From San Francisco, the flight to Tokyo is an 11-hour flight, so players have to play in a foreign country in front of stadiums full of people who hardly understand the sport they are watching.
Balancing the growth of the product with the well-being of the players, the most important asset, is something that Goodell simply will never care about. He will push until he can’t push any further. In due time, there will be an NFL game played in Japan.
This article originally appeared on Browns Wire: NFL is researching the possibility of yet another International Game
Reporting by Anthony Moeglin, Browns Wire / Browns Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
