NFL Announces International Hosts; Falcons Visitors?..
NFL Announces International Hosts; Falcons Visitors?
Somewhat lost in the shuffle of other news on Thursday morning, the NFL announced its designated teams for the 2024 NFL season. The Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings and Jacksonville Jaguars will all host games in London, with the former two playing at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and the latter at Wembley Stadium. Additionally, the Carolina Panthers will host a game at Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, the fourth game in the country and second in that venue. The NFL will also play its first-ever game in Brazil next season, but the host team for that game will be announced at a later date.
While the Atlanta Falcons were not selected as a host, there is a chance that they could be a visiting team for one of these games. The question is, will they?
Yes, there is a chance the Falcons could appear in one of these games, theoretically at least. Atlanta plays both Carolina and Minnesota on the road, so the Falcons could be the opposing team in one of those games. However, one team playing an international game in back-to-back seasons is very rare, and considering the Falcons played the Jaguars at Wembley Stadium this season, it seems unlikely that they would go back so soon. The last team to play internationally in back-to-back seasons (not counting the Jaguars as they play in London almost every year) was the then-Oakland Raiders from 2016 to 2019, with two games in Mexico City followed by two in London. On top of that, the Falcons also played in London in 2021, so that would mark three international games in four years.
While it is possible that Atlanta could get yet another international game, it feels like the NFL might want to diversify a bit. The exact matchups for all five international games should be announced before the NFL unveils its full schedule in May..