Aaron Rodgers pushes NFL to stage a full international week instead of adding a 17th game

Aaron Rodgers said Sunday that the NFL should think bigger about its international slate, urging the league to create a full week of games overseas rather than add another regular-season contest. The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback made his remarks after Pittsburgh played the New Orleans Saints in Paris, the NFL’s first regular-season game in France.

Rodgers backs an international week

Rodgers said there had been discussion during labor talks about setting aside an international week in which games would be played in 16 places, with an extra bye week added to the schedule. In his view, that idea would be good for the league and for the sport’s growth around the world.

He said the concept would have been “phenomenal” for football and described it as a better option than expanding the regular season.

He contrasts that idea with the owners’ push for 17 games

Rodgers also took aim at team owners, saying they had pushed for a 17th regular-season game because of the added revenue. He said they spoke often about player safety, but suggested the financial motives were the real reason behind the push.

He then raised the issue of travel spending, saying teams should be required to invest more when they play abroad. According to Rodgers, owners would need to “open up their pocketbooks” if the league mandated fuller travel plans and community engagement in host cities.

• The NFL is playing a record nine international games across seven countries this season.
• Countries Rodgers mentioned included Mexico, Brazil, Ireland, England, Spain and Germany.
• He also pointed to possible future games in Dubai and another South American country.
• Rodgers said international games could help the league expand its reach.

Paris game highlights the league’s global push

Rodgers’ comments came as the NFL continued its efforts to broaden its presence overseas. The Steelers-Saints game in Paris came during a weekend when the city was also dealing with protests over school funding and the cost of living, along with unrest that led the league to cancel several events before the game.

According to Steelers coach Mike McCarthy, players and their families enjoyed Friday after arriving in Paris, but stayed near the team hotel on Saturday when more protests took place.

For ordinary fans, the discussion touches two big questions at once: how far the NFL should go in taking games to new countries, and whether the league should use that expansion to give players a different schedule rather than simply adding more games.

Source: Nate Taylor