Continuing its annual series of matches played abroad, the NFL has announced the teams who will have a “home” game in London next season.
The NFL’s International Series first began with the London Games back in 2007. From then, it has expanded to bring explosive highlight plays and big hits to Mexico and Germany, as well as in multiple fixtures in the UK.
Last year, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium hosted two thrilling games for American Football fans in the UK to enjoy. Firstly, the Minnesota Vikings defeated the New Orleans Saints 28-25 in their Week 4 matchup in London.
One week later, the New York Giants treated UK fans to a 27-22 comeback win over the Green Bay Packers on the same ground. Finally, when the Jacksonville Jaguars had their annual game in London, the Denver Broncos beat the Jags at Wembley.
The International Series clashes in London are a unique opportunity for NFL fans “across the pond” to get a taste of America’s “big 4” sports. So, which teams are we guaranteed to see in the capital later this year?
NFL London Games: the three “home” teams
Each NFL team has just 17 regular season matches per year. Therefore, the league has to designate three sides for which the International Series count as a “home” game.
Firstly, and unsurprisingly, the Jacksonville Jaguars are one of the “hosts”. Given owner Shahid Khan’s close ties to London – as owner of Fulham – the Jags are a regular London Games team. They will play at Wembley Stadium, continuing a multi-year agreement.
The Florida-based franchise have had a resurgent season. After finishing 2021 with the worst record in the league, they are in the AFC playoffs for the first time since 2017. Currently, the Jags are in the divisional round following an improbable comeback win over the LA Chargers on wildcard weekend.
Second-year quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who led the 27-point turnaround, is emerging as a must-watch talent. Therefore, the Jaguars may command even more interest than usual when they return to London.
Elsewhere, the Buffalo Bills and the Tennessee Titans will play “home” games at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the autumn of 2023.
Like Jacksonville, the Bills have reached the divisional round of the AFC conference side of the playoffs. With an elite QB-WR tandem of Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs, the Bills actually aspire to reach the Super Bowl this year.
Contrastingly, the Titans missed out on a play-off berth after losing the AFC South division to Jacksonville. They do have a crowd-pleaser on their roster, though, in the form of star running-back Derrick Henry.
When are the games and when will tickets go on sale?
The 2023 International Series will take place during the next regular season, which will start in September 2023. Generally, the London NFL games take place in October. The three teams’ opponents will be announced in due course, once the league finalise their schedule for next season.
As a result, tickets are not yet on sale. However, fans can register their interest in tickets by following the link here.
This once-a-year event is always a sell-out, so you may have to be quick if you do not want to miss the action!
Featured image credit: Getty