NFL commissioner Roger Goodell hints at expanded international schedule

The NFL has made a concerted effort to go global during Roger Goodell's tenure as league commissioner, and based on his most recent comments that push won't slow down any time in the near future.

While speaking at the NFL league meetings in Minneapolis this week. Goodell believes the league is ready for another massive expansion on the international calendar, which is already slated to feature seven games outside of the United States in 2025.

According to Goodell, a 16-game international schedule is "very near," which could potentially mean that all 32 NFL teams will play one game abroad per season. This year, the league will have stops in Brazil, England, Ireland, Germany and Spain, however, there's been talks of more international locations being added in the near future.

In 2025, the Minnesota Vikings will actually play two games overseas on back-to-back weeks, which makes them the first team in NFL history to see their schedule keep them abroad for two weeks.

With the NFL likely to go to an 18-game regular season in the coming seasons, perhaps the league is considering this international expansion idea as a way to build in a second bye week for teams that travel overseas throughout the year.

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