Roger Goodell (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
The NFL has issued a response to the rumors claiming players should be concerned for their safety in Brazil.
The Philadelphia Eagles will play the Green Bay Packers in South America to kick off their season in 2024, a first for the NFL.
The Packers-Eagles Brazil game will see the former NFC champions play host to the rising contenders at Corinthians Arena in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on September 6.
Running back Josh Jacobs, who joined the Packers this offseason, discussed the upcoming contest on the ‘Green Light with Chris Long’ podcast and expressed some serious concerns after being asked what excites him most about the game.
Jacobs revealed the NFL warned players against wearing green clothing while in the country because of the color’s association with local gangs.
The two-time Pro Bowler also disclosed that players have been asked not to leave their team hotels but will be escorted by armored vehicles whenever they need to do so.
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The NFL Pushes Back On Josh Jacobs’ Claims Regarding The Packers-Eagles Brazil Game
The NFL has responded to Jacobs’ claims about the Packers-Eagles Brazil game, branding them untrue.
League spokesperson Michael Signora told the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff Neiburg that the revelation regarding armored vehicles was false. He also stated, “you will see a stadium full of fans wearing the green of the Eagles and the green of the Packers.”
Prior reports indicated the teams might not wear their green uniforms, but the reason has nothing to do with local gangs. It’s because green is the color of the uniform Corinthians’ bitter rivals Brazilian rivals, Palmeiras, wears.
REPORT: NFL Is “Evaluating” Two Big-Time European Cities To Host Future International Games, And They Both Make A Ton Of Sense
NFL International Series game. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
The NFL is potentially looking to take American Football to France and Ireland in the not-too-distant future and is evaluating two new candidates for its International Series.
The league has been hosting games in other countries for a while now, with an early one set to head to Brazil for the first time next season.
Henry Hodgson, GM of the NFL’s UK office, told the Associated Press that due diligence is already being performed on Paris and Dublin, as well as numerous other cities worldwide.
“There’s a feasibility study, as we would call it, in a number of different European cities and Dublin is one of those,” he said. “Looking at the stadiums, taking local meetings … we’ll take away all of that information, digest it and determine what the next steps are.
“That’s something that’s happening in Dublin, it’s happening in Paris for example, and a number of other cities around the world as well.”
The league announced plans to take its first regular-season game to Brazil last December. NBC Sports’ Peter King had written about the International Series a month earlier, noting: “Spain and Brazil in the next two years, Paris in 2025 or beyond, and Dublin at some point soon.”
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Why Paris And Dublin Make Sense For The NFL’s International Series
Paris and Dublin both seem like great locations for an NFL game. The former is one of the world’s most famous and attractive cities and has hosted several high-profile sporting events.
The 2024 Summer Olympics will take place there in July.
Dublin, meanwhile, has already brought American football to Europe. The NCAA’s Aer Lingus College Football Classic is regularly hosted in said city. Georgia Tech and Florida State will play there in August.
