NFL rumors: Nick Chubb return timeline, overseas expansion, Super Bowl halftime show

NFL global expansion growing and growing

The NFL increasingly wants to become a global brand, and to do so, it appears committed to leaning further into overseas contests several times a year. The NFL International Series kicked off in London in 2007, but in recent years the NFL has staged games in non-US countries on a more frequent basis.

2022 featured three games in Europe, one game in Mexico, and one game in Germany. 2023 features three in Europe and two in Germany.

The NFL also created a marketing tactic that assigned various teams with representative countries.

According to Adam Schefter, the NFL is scouting other locations for future games, including Spain and Brazil. The cities the NFL is looking into are Madrid, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo. Schefter also reports that NFL executive vice president Peter O'Reilly suggested the NFL would consider Australia, too, but that logistics may be prohibitive.

An additional game on the schedule with 17 instead of the previously-scheduled 16 affords teams the chance to add an international game without necessarily having to remove a home game for its local fans.

It also begs the question of whether or not the NFL will ever try to stage a European team or even a European division. Such a team could take advantage of the close proximity of massive soccer stadiums -- London, Germany, and Spain, where the NFL already plays or wants to play gmaes are all close to one another -- and float around Europe for its "home" games. Surely, it would give that team one heck of a home-field advantage.

The Jaguars, already threatening a relocation, have been thought to be the most likely already-existing team to make a European leap.

For now, the NFL seems content in giving its current slate of 32 teams rotational presence in the International Games, but as the sport grows in popularity, it's something that could be considered.