Packers unlikely to play international game in 2021 season

The Green Bay Packers are the only team in the NFL yet to play internationally.

That wait is expected to continue in 2021. According to Daniel Kaplan of The Athletic, the NFL International Series will resume this year after the Covid-19 pandemic resulted in last season’s games being canceled.

According to Kaplan, London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is set to host two games, with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Atlanta Falcons both playing at “home” across the pond.

Unless the league decides to add more international games to the schedule, the Packers will not be making the trip to north London in 2021. Neither the Jaguars or Falcons are on the Packers’ 2021 regular-season schedule, which will be released in full on Wednesday.

Packers could be candidate to play internationally in 2022

However, Packers fans overseas might not have to wait too much longer to see their team live.

As Packers president Mark Murphy confirmed earlier this offseason, the new rules regarding the 17-game season will mean the team will have to give up a home game at some point in the next decade.

Starting next year, four games will be held overseas, but the “home” games will be hosted by teams set to host nine games that year. That will rotate between the NFC and AFC starting next year. For example, in 2022, every NFC team will host a ninth game. As a result, the Packers will be eligible to be chosen for a “home” game internationally next year, and again in 2024.

Considering that Green Bay is the only team yet to play a game in the NFL International Series, not to mention the team’s huge fan base, it would be no surprise if they are selected to host a game next year. But it’s unlikely we’ll find out for many months yet.

For now, the wait for a game internationally goes on.