NFL Unveils International Teams: Bucs, Cardinals, Packers, Jags, Saints Good To Go
Monday, February 28, 2022 at 09:02PM By Barry Janoff
February 28, 2022: The NFL today unveiled five of the eight teams that would be traveling for international games during the 2022 season, including the Arizona Cardinals, Green Bay Packers, Jacksonville Jaguars, New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Packers — which will play in London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium against the Saints — become the last team in the NFL to play a regular season international game.
The Buccaneers become the first team to play a regular season game in Germany, to be held in FC Bayern Munich Stadium.
The Cardinals will play in Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca.
The Jaguars will play in London’s Wembley Stadium.
The NFL said that details of the International Series dates, additional teams and kickoff times would be confirmed as part of the full 2022 schedule release later this year.
Last year, as part of the NFL’s regular season expansion 17 games, the league decided that, beginning with the 2022 season, “up to four of the teams from the conference whose teams were eligible for a ninth regular-season home game would instead be designated to play a neutral-site international game each year.”
Munich and Frankfurt were previously chosen to stage regular-season games in Germany over the next four years
"We are very excited to be staging five games outside the United States in 2022, and thank the clubs for their continued commitment to growing the sport internationally," Peter O'Reilly, NFL evp-club business and league events, said via the NFL.
"Our fans in Germany, Mexico and the U.K. can look forward to seeing some of the most iconic names and biggest stars in the League and enjoying an incredible series of events."
The NFL said Germany is a “leading market outside North America for NFL Shop sales, fantasy football participation and sales of the Madden NFL video game.”
The NFL also said it “has enjoyed a number of strong years of fan growth in Germany,” where it said it now has 19 million fans.
“The staging of regular-season games is part of the NFL's growing commitment to Germany.”
"We look forward to participating in the first regular-season NFL game in Munich, Germany later this fall as part of the International Series," Buccaneers owner/co-chairman Joel Glazer said via the team.
"This historic game will play a crucial role in the NFL's efforts to grow its international footprint while allowing us to directly engage NFL fans in Germany."
Green Bay has played in three international preseason games, most recently in 2019 in Canada against the now Las Vegas Raiders.
Upon becoming the 32nd NFL team to play in London since 2007, the Packers posted to their Web site and social media a photo with Green Bay players recreating The Beatles "Abbey Road" album cover.
"The Green Bay Packers are excited to make our international debut during the 2022 season," Packers president/CEO Mark Murphy said via the team.
"Our fans in the U.K. and elsewhere in Europe have been eagerly awaiting an opportunity to see the Packers play in their backyard, and we know that many of our fans in the United States will travel to London.”
According to Murphy, “This will be a great opportunity to introduce the Packers, as well Green Bay and our area, to an international audience and encourage fans in the UK to visit us in person at Lambeau Field."
The Saints will play in the U.K. for the third time, having won on tboth previous occasions.
The Jaguars, which played in Tottenham last season, will return to Wembley Stadium for the first time since 2019, having played there for seven straight seasons.
"London has served as the Jaguars' home away from home since 2013," Jaguars owner Shad Khan said via the team.
"Wembley is a significant part of our identity and brand in London and throughout the U.K. and our fans are looking forward to returning."
In Mexico, the Cardinals last played at Estadio Azteca with 103,467 people in attendance, among the Top Ten largest crowds in NFL history.
"In 2005 when the Cardinals hosted the first NFL regular-season game played outside the United States, we experienced first-hand the extraordinary support and incredible passion of our fans in Mexico," Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill said via the team.
We know that has increased exponentially in the years since and are thrilled to return to Mexico City and Estadio Azteca in 2022."
NFL Planning International Games In Germany, Mexico, U.K. In 2022
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