Tag: International

Broncos won’t play an international game in 2024

The Broncos won’t have an international game in 2024. Denver will host eight games and the Broncos will play nine road games stateside.

We already know the Denver Broncos’ upcoming opponents, and we’ll find out the team’s full 2024 schedule with dates and times in May.

We also know that the Broncos will not play abroad this fall.

The NFL has announced the “home” teams for the five international games in 2024 and none of them are set to host Denver next season.

The Philadelphia Eagles (Brazil), Chicago Bears (England), Minnesota Vikings (England), Jacksonville Jaguars (England) and Carolina Panthers (Germany) will “host” games outside the United States this fall.

The Broncos do have the Panthers on their list of 2024 opponents, but that game will be played at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver. So the Broncos won’t have an international game during the 2024 season.

Denver last played abroad in 2022 when they defeated the Jaguars 21-17 at Wembley Stadium in London. Each NFL team is required to play at least one international game every eight years. Beginning in 2025, up to eight international games will be scheduled each season. That would involve 16 teams, giving half the league an international game each year.

So the Broncos will likely have another international game in the not-too-distant future, and Mexico is the most likely location. The NFL won’t play in Mexico in 2024 due to construction at Estadio Azteca. Once those renovations are complete, Denver will be a strong candidate to play in Mexico. This year, though, all of the team’s games will be played in the USA.

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NFL will play in Brazil in 2024 — could the Broncos play in the game?

The NFL will play a game in Brazil next season. Could the Broncos play in that game?

For the first time in NFL history, the league will play a regular season game in South America next fall.

The NFL announced Wednesday that a game will be played at Corinthians Arena in São Paulo, Brazil in 2024. The stadium with a 68,727 capacity previously hosted World Cup games in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016.

The league will announce five “home” teams for its 2024 international schedule early next year, presumably in January. The NFL prefers (but does not require) “home” teams to play in their designated “Global Markets Program” country.

Only one team — the Miami Dolphins — has Brazil listed as their designated country, so the ‘Phins might be a decent bet to “host” the game at Corinthians Arena in 2024.

The Denver Broncos have Mexico listed as their international market, but the team could be a “road” team for an international game in a different country. The Broncos will face the same-place finisher in the AFC East on the road in 2024, so it’s possible that Miami could be on Denver’s 2024 schedule.

Right now, the Broncos are in second place in the AFC West. The corresponding team in the AFC East right now is the Buffalo Bills. For Denver and the Dolphins to finish in the same spot in their respective divisions (barring something crazy), the Broncos would have to win the AFC West or Miami would have to finish in second place in the AFC East.

As things stand now, Denver seems unlikely to play in Brazil next season. But the NFL plans to expand from four international games in 2024 to eight international games in 2025. Once that happens, half the league will play an international game every season (unless a team volunteers for more than one game). So starting in 2025, it seems likely that most NFL teams will have an international game at least once every other season.

So after playing in London, England in 2022, the Broncos seem likely to play another international game in the not-too-distant future. It might not be in Brazil, but Denver will play outside the United States again. Mexico seemingly remains the team’s most likely destination.

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Behind enemy lines: Breaking down Chiefs’ Week 9 matchup vs. Miami with Dolphins Wire

We sat down with #Dolphins Wire editor Mike Masala to break down the #Chiefs’ Week 9 matchup against Miami.

The Kansas City Chiefs’ Week 9 matchup against the Miami Dolphins has all the makings of an instant classic. Both teams faced drastically different expectations entering their 2023 campaigns, and while they are tied by record at this juncture of the season, Miami seems to have a bit more momentum than Kansas City.

Nothing is guaranteed in the NFL, though, and neither team is taking the other lightly heading into the highly anticipated international meeting, which is set to take place in Frankfurt, Germany.

We sat down with Mike Masala, managing editor of Dolphins Wire, to get his thoughts on Miami’s season to this point. His answers to our questions made for invaluable context that every fan should know ahead of the marquee matchup.

Go behind enemy lines with us to see just how confident Masala is in the Dolphins’ abilities this season, and what Miami will bring to the table in this game:

LOOK: Chiefs WR Rashee Rice to wear swanky custom cleats vs. Dolphins

Rashee Rice will wear swanky custom cleats for the #Chiefs’ international matchup against the #Dolphins in Germany.

The Kansas City Chiefs’ receiving corps will look to bounce back against the Miami Dolphins in Week 9 after laying an egg against the Denver Broncos. Rookie wideout Rashee Rice is expected to play a major role in Kansas City’s offense in the Chiefs’ international matchup in Germany on Sunday and will sport some swanky custom cleats for the occasion.

The footwear features motifs of both the American and German flags and is sure to be a hit with the audience attending the highly anticipated matchup in Frankfurt.

Though the cleats themselves may not give Rice an edge over his opponents on the gridiron, he will certainly look good running his routes in them as Kansas City attempts to secure their seventh win of the 2023 season.

With any luck, Rice may be able to win over an international audience with his new boots and set career highs in receiving yards and touchdowns to lift the Chiefs to victory.

NFL to expand practice squads in 2024 with emphasis on international players

The NFL announced plans to expand practice squads in 2024 with an emphasis on international players, something the Saints have taken advantage of before:

We’re continuing to see an emphasis on the NFL’s overseas outreach with the league announcing a plan to expand practice squads in 2024 — opening a 17th spot on every team’s practice squad for an international player. Expect the New Orleans Saints to embrace this opportunity.

The Saints have participated in the NFL International Pathway program before, having developed British defensive end Alex Jenkins on their practice squad for a few years; he last played for the New York Giants in 2019 but was waived with an injury settlement, and he has been out of football since. He didn’t start out on the practice squad, but Nigerian defensive tackle David Onyemata was one of the Saints’ best players in recent years after the team found him while scouting Canadian college football prospects.

Still, other players have traveled from abroad to find success in the NFL. Former Carolina Panthers defensive end Efe Obada was another player who benefited from the NFL International Pathway opportunity, developing into a playmaker with 15 career sacks and a couple of takeaways to his credit; the program was piloted with NFC South teams back in 2017.

Expect more efforts from the NFL to expand their international brand in the years ahead. The league is playing more games in other countries and looking to cultivate stronger followings abroad, and it feels like only a matter of time until the Saints kick off a game in France as the country’s exclusive NFL marketing presence.

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2023 Basketball World Cup: The full rosters

Starting on August 25, 32 National Teams will vie for the World Cup in Japan, Philippines, and Indonesia. The list of teams includes powerhouses like the United States and Spain, as well as newcomers such as South Sudan or Cape Verde. Here’s the …

Starting on August 25, 32 National Teams will vie for the World Cup in Japan, Philippines, and Indonesia. The list of teams includes powerhouses like the United States and Spain, as well as newcomers such as South Sudan or Cape Verde.

Here’s the full list of players fighting for gold, which includes 57 current NBA players.

Chiefs UDFA Spotlight: International OL Jason ‘Chu’ Godrick

Our #Chiefs UDFA Spotlight Series continues with a player allocated via the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program.

This 22-year-old offensive line prospect from Lagos, Nigeria was allocated to the Chiefs through the league’s International Player Pathway Program. Chukwuebuka Jason ‘Chu’ Godrick is one of the eight players allocated to NFC North and AFC West teams via the program following the 2023 NFL draft.

He has a long way to go in his development as he’s never actually played a game of organized football before. Prior to his discovery at Osi Umenyiora’s “Uprise Academy”, Godrick had only played basketball. Godrick gained the attention of the league at the NFL’s International Combine at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last October.

Saints’ Paulson Adebo visits Kenya for NFL Africa Camp 2023

The NFL has a global reach, as illustrated by Saints corner Paulson Adebo visiting Kenya to participate in NFL Africa Camp 2023:

It’s important to remember that the NFL is a global enterprise. Paulson Adebo and his New Orleans Saints teammates made the trip to London last year for a game with the Minnesota Vikings, and there’s a (slim) chance they’ll be flying to Europe again in the fall for a matchup with the New England Patriots in Germany.

But that’s a concern for another day. For Adebo, part of his offseason was spent traveling to Kenya for the NFL Africa Camp 2023 events. He’s one of several NFL players with African ties to volunteer their services, along with Emmanuel Ogbah, Ikem Ekwonu, Brian Asamoah, and Arnold Ebiketie.

Adebo was born in Farmington, Mich. to first-generation immigrants from Benin, a West African nation of about 13 million people. So this was something of a homecoming for him. It’s cool to see Adebo experiencing this and doing his part to help the sport grow overseas and be a good ambassador for New Orleans.

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Will the Broncos play an international game in 2023?

Two teams on Broncos’ road schedule will “host” international games this year, but Denver seems more likely to play in Mexico after 2023.

The NFL announced five home teams for its 2023 international series on Thursday, and the Denver Broncos are not among the host teams.

The Tennessee Titans, Buffalo Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars will play “home” games in London with the Titans and Bills playing at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and the Jags playing at Wembley Stadium.

Meanwhile, the Kansas City Chiefs and New England Patriots will “host” games in Germany, with the exact stadiums still to be announced.

The Broncos are scheduled to play two of those teams — the Chiefs and Bills — on the road next season, but Denver seems unlikely to play in England or Germany next fall.

The Broncos just played the Jaguars at Wembley in 2022 — winning 21-17 — and Denver seems unlikely to immediately return to London the following season. The Broncos also seem unlikely to play in Germany in 2023 after having Mexico set as their designated international market in 2021.

Mexico will not host an international game in 2023 because Estadio Azteca is undergoing renovations, but the NFL plans to return to Mexico City in the future, perhaps as early as 2024. Denver will play at least one more international game before 2029, and Mexico is the likeliest location.

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14 Broncos players to wear international flags on helmets

Fourteen Broncos players will wear international flags on their helmets this week, with six players representing Nigeria.

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More than 200 players, coaches and executives across the NFL will participate in the league’s recognition of nationalities and cultural heritages in Weeks 4 and 5.

As part of the NFL’s initiative, 14 Denver Broncos players will wear international flag stickers on the back of their helmets this week. Here’s the list of players:

DL McTelvin Agim (Nigeria)
CB Essang Bassey (Nigeria)
RB Devine Ozigbo (Nigeria)
CB Michael Ojemudia (Nigeria)
TE Albert Okwuegbunam (Nigeria)
DL Eyioma Uwazurike (Nigeria)
WR Jerry Jeudy (Haiti)
OLB Jonathan Kongbo (Republic of the Congo)
TE Greg Dulcich (Croatia)
CB K’Waun Williams (Jamaica)
DL Mike Purcell (Samoa)
G Netane Muti (Tonga)
OL Luke Wattenberg (South Korea)
P Corliss Waitman (Suriname)

“The NFL is proud of the extensive collection of nationalities and heritage of its players across the League,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. “We recognize the many cultures they represent and the excitement they bring to their home fans, which ultimately helps grow our game.”

Sunday’s game against the Raiders will begin at 2:25 p.m. MT (TV map).

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