NEW ORLEANS — Hours after NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell expressed deep concern about the effects of international play on player health and safety, the NFL—in the same room at the New Orleans convention center—announced its most audacious play since the league began playing overseas games in London in 2007.
The Rams will play an undetermined opponent in 2026 to start a multiyear NFL agreement to play games at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Australia. Melbourne is 16 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time, compared to six in Germany, the widest time-zone gap currently on the international schedule.
Peter O’Reilly, NFL executive vice president of international and league events, with representatives from Australia on a stage with him, said the NFLPA had been consulted on the Down Under plans.
“We have spoken to the PA, and our priorities are their priorities,” O’Reilly said, “which is ensuring that the player experience around this and all of our games is first-class, is world-class. … So that’s a focus, and ensuring, frankly, that we’re working with players to really be ambassadors for our game in these markets, and that they’re really part of this journey of growing our game around the world.”
The NFLPA released the following statement to FOS: “We believe that a game in Australia, which will involve a minimum 15-hour flight before even stepping on the field, has significant implications for our players’ rest, recovery, and performance. The players are concerned that these have not been accounted for, and we look forward to hearing from the league how they plan to address these needs.”
Australia, where one of the more popular sports is Australian rules football, has served as a modest pipeline for players into the NFL, most notably Eagles tackle Jordan Mailata. Nine Australians are in the NFL International Player Pathway Program, a league initiative that develops foreign players.
The NFL did not say when in 2026 the game would occur, but O’Reilly said it is a good assumption that it would be the first week of the season to give the teams time to travel and acclimate.
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