Steelers brass hopefully eyeing return to international venue in future

It makes too much sense for it not to happen one day. The NFL has made it a point over the last decade-plus to grow its game internationally. London now gets multiple regular-season games a year, including always one Jacksonville Jaguars home game. We are now seeing games being played in Mexico, Germany and now even in Brazil. Of course, the NFL should be looking hard at Ireland now...

With college football having had great success with its Week 0 games over in Dublin, it is only a matter of time before the NFL goes to the other island. Dan Rooney of the Pittsburgh Steelers spoke with the BBC about getting his team to play in the motherland in the coming years. Pittsburgh played the Chicago Bears in an exhibition game at historic Croke Park back in 1997. Dublin better be ready.

While going back to Croke Park would be cool for the Steelers, Aviva Stadium is much more modern.

"It's been a goal from the start, being able to pursue an opportunity to play a live game in front of the Irish fans. We are working with the NFL on that and we're looking forward to seeing what's coming."

Of course, Rooney will be patient and hear what the league office has to say about games in Ireland.

"We're awaiting some of their findings and we have told them we would love to get to the island to play a game some day. It's an exciting future ahead. It would be special no matter where we played it. Croke Park hosted it in 1997 and that is a special venue, but that's really in the hands of the NFL."

If the NFL wants to expand its international footprint in Ireland, the Steelers are the perfect team for it.

Dan Rooney is hopeful the Pittsburgh Steelers will play in Ireland again

Even though it may be NFL commissioner Roger Goodell's greatest wish to have a team, or an entire division, located over in Europe, he and the rest of the league office need to be methodical in figuring out what areas of the world to play games in. We know that the United Kingdom and Germany can handle and support games, while Mexico has been up and down at times, but mostly up with them.

To me, Ireland is about the safest and next most logical country to have NFL games played on a semi-regular basis. Again, they love college football over there. Even if they only get that one Week 0 game, they make it a big spectacle in Dublin and do a fantastic job of making college football feel both fun and big, as it should be. I think Ireland could handle an NFL regular-season game here soon.

Ultimately, I would suspect that Goodell would prioritize maintaining an international stronghold in the UK while seeking to build healthy and productive relationships in Germany. Mexico is easy because it is in the same time zone as the United States. The problem with putting a game over in Ireland might be sheer market size. To me, Dublin is a perfect international city capable of holding such an event.

Give it time, but I would suspect that the Steelers will be playing a game in Dublin in the near future.