“I really don’t like traveling outside the U.S. to play football,” Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf said when asked which other countries he would like to play in. But while Metcalf made his stance quite clear, Steelers defensive tackle Cam Heyward is not too opposed to the idea of an international game.
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During his October 27 appearance on the Rich Eisen Show, Heyward spoke about why he felt international games mattered. He also mentioned another country he would love to play in if given the opportunity.
“[I] asked myself that same question of why we’re doing this all the time. But when you look at these games, you understand the appeal of so many different countries that don’t get a chance to learn our culture and know what we’re about,” Heyward said. “I would love to one day go to Tokyo. I would love to one day go to Germany and do it in Oktoberfest, but you know, those are me just dreaming.”
Eisen echoed the feeling, speaking about the time he covered NFL games in Munich and saw fans wearing jerseys of their favorite NFL teams, not just the two battling it out on the field. This was also seen in the Dallas-Baltimore game held in Rio de Janeiro earlier in the season, the first time an NFL game had been held in the city.
Despite civil unrest in Paris, where the Steelers played their Week 7 game against the New Orleans Saints, the defensive tackle praised the French fans’ enthusiasm and mentioned how impressive he found the structural design of the Eiffel Tower. Of course, their 16-10 win over the Saints was the cherry on top.
“The food was amazing. The people were great. I think there were some riots there, didn’t partake,” Heyward added. “Overall, great atmosphere. Playing in front of a great crowd and having so many different fans, Steelers and Saint fans were awesome, but it’s always great to cap that off with a win and we were able to do that this week.”
The Steelers defensive player emphasized that it wasn’t their “first rodeo,” as they have played before internationally. Comparing it to their Vikings game in Ireland last year, Heyward pointed out that thanks to the franchise owner Art Rooney’s Irish roots, the energy in Dublin’s Croke Park felt like having home-field advantage. He also spoke about how they saw Steelers fans everywhere the entire week they were in Dublin.
Unlike the Saints, who arrived in Paris on Monday last week, the Steelers’ itinerary resembled their 2025 schedule: arriving on a Friday, engaging in a mock-game, and resting up for the Sunday clash. It has been like so for their European trips for a while now.
But in the end, it seemed to be a matter of personal preference. Ahead of their Paris game, Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers admitted that while he enjoyed playing internationally, he would have preferred landing a little earlier in the week to better recuperate, rather than reaching their overseas destination a mere two days before the game.
The Steelers were reportedly asked to stay awake during the nine-hour flight to the French capital. They had begun prep back home, adjusting their practice timing to adapt better to the European time zone.
The stress has flowed into this week, as the Steelers are slated to play against their divisional rivals, the Cleveland Browns, on November 1 at Acrisure Stadium. On his own podcast, Heyward admitted that the schedule was challenging, but stated that, as players belonging to a marquee team, they are “built for it.”
Unfortunately for Metcalf, he will have to pack his bags for an international game more often now. The NFL will host 10 such games next season, and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has also expressed a desire for every team to play one international game in the season.