NFL Looking To Play In Germany, Down To Three Cities

The NFL is seeking to add more games to its International Series, with Germany as the frontrunner to host a game in 2022, per NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport.

The league is set to unveil the three finalists' cities on Tuesday, as they look to add to the current International schedule, which consists of multiple games in London and one in Mexico City.

The league began playing at least one game a year in London in 2007 and have done so in every season excluding 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The first London game of 2021 takes place Sunday morning from Tottenham Hotspur Stadium between the Jets and Falcons. The second will take place in a Week 6 between the Jaguars and Dolphins.

While the NFL is the most profitable and watched sports league in the U.S., it's largely been a niche product in the eyes of the world. The emphasis to grow the game has been important for the NFL and the move to Germany is a big step in seeing that come to fruition.

But why does the NFL continue to put inferior teams in these games? The Jaguars have become a staple in London, as Owner Shad Khan loves the revenue that the game brings in, but the product of the games in London haven't always been favorable.

And it's hard to get excited about seeing two 1-3 teams in the Jets and Falcons duke it out at 9:00 a.m. EST, let alone those on the west coast, who will have to be up by 6:00 a.m. on a Sunday to watch.