Aaron Rodgers is out there pushing a grand vision for the NFL’s international games, but the league’s top brass? They’re having absolutely none of it. Sources close to the NFL management and team owners say there’s “virtually no support” for Rodgers’s suggestion to cram all international matchups into a single week of play.
The “Nonsensical” Idea That Has Zero Traction
Rodgers’s big idea is pretty straightforward: instead of spreading international games throughout the season, have one giant “international week” where 16 games are played in 16 different locations. He sees it as a way to have a 16-game regular season with two bye weeks, one of which would be this international spectacle. He even said it “would have been nice” and “phenomenal for the game.” But the guys who run the show? They’re calling it like they see it. One source, clearly familiar with the sport’s collective bargaining process, didn’t mince words, calling it a “nonsensical concept” that would have the league “competing against yourself.” Ouch.
Rodgers’s Memory vs. NFL Reality
What makes this even wilder is Rodgers’s claim that this single-week international setup was actually “talked” about during the labor negotiations for the 2020 Collective Bargaining Agreement. Problem is, NFL sources are vehemently denying it. “That’s bizarre,” one source told Front Office Sports, adding, “I’m quite sure we never talked about a 16-game season with two byes and 16 international games in one week.” Another source was even blunter: “It never came up.” So, yeah, it looks like Rodgers’s memory on that one is a bit fuzzy, or maybe just wishful thinking. The 2020 CBA *did* boost the regular season from 16 to 17 games, and specifically states that the extra week “shall not consist entirely of international games.” This season, the NFL is already playing a record nine international games, spread across nine different weeks. We’ve seen the 49ers and Rams battle in Melbourne, the Ravens and Cowboys in Rio, and games in London, Paris (where Rodgers himself helped the Steelers to a win last Sunday), with Madrid, Munich, and Mexico City still to come. The league’s got a plan, and it’s definitely not Rodgers’s.
Still Holding Out Hope?
Even with the league shooting his idea down hard, Rodgers isn’t backing off. He’s still out there saying playing all international games in one week would be good for future seasons, great for “expansion of the game.” He even took a little jab at the owners for pushing for the 17-game season, saying they wanted “extra revenue because they care so much about player safety.” Look, Rodgers might be a future Hall of Famer, but when it comes to the NFL’s global strategy, it seems like his fantastic ideas are just not lining up with what the league actually wants to do. The international schedule is already set, and it doesn’t look like anyone’s pausing for a re-think based on one quarterback’s vision.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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