The NFL has been breaking through into Europe and other continents, with more games scheduled overseas in recent years. That trend appears like it will continue. New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft teased that more NFL games are going overseas, when appearing on a radio program Tuesday.
Kraft said there's a push to remove an NFL preseason game moving forward, and replace it with a regular season game. That would mean the season would go to 18 regular season games for each team. Each NFL team would also play at least one international game each year, Kraft said.
“We're going to push like the dickens now to make international more important with us,” Kraft said on 98.5 The Sports Hub.
The NFL is looking to remove a preseason game in favor of increasing the regular season to 18 games while giving every team an international game, #Patriots owner Robert Kraft said on @ZoandBertrand. pic.twitter.com/DKeFs8ZsIi
— 98.5 The Sports Hub (@985TheSportsHub) January 20, 2026
Kraft said more international games in the NFL would help grow the salary cap. He said international games bring a lot of eyeballs to the league, both on television as well as at the actual stadiums. In the past, the NFL even toyed with the idea of expanding into Europe.
Kraft make the comments ahead of the AFC Championship game. His Patriots are playing the Denver Broncos for a shot at going to the Super Bowl.
The NFL is getting more popular overseas
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has talked openly in the last few years about scheduling more international games. Goodell is even open to the idea of putting NFL playoff games, as well as possibly the Super Bowl, at international sites.
NFL players have also been excited to play in overseas games. Pittsburgh Steelers defensive star Cam Heyward relished the atmosphere when his team won a game this season over the Minnesota Vikings in Ireland.
“This is a game we had circled on our calendar. I am glad we got the win overseas……I am very thankful to get the win here,” Heyward said to reporters after the Steelers won in Dublin.
At the Steelers-Vikings game in Dublin, more than 74,000 people attended. That was impressive to Heyward.
“You could feel everybody there,” Heyward added after the Dublin game. “That crowd was electric today.”
Time will tell how many more NFL games are played internationally in the years ahead.
