International NFL games once felt like a rare event circled on the calendar, a one-off trip to London that gave overseas fans a taste of American football. But the league’s 2026 plans look very different. With nine games scheduled across cities stretching from Melbourne and Madrid to Berlin and São Paulo, the NFL is no longer treating international football as an occasional showcase, turning the whole affair into a major part of the regular season calendar. While some have openly welcomed the opportunity to play overseas, others are beginning to wonder if the expansion is starting to go too far. One of them is J. J. Watt. 

The former Houston Texans star and current CBS analyst did not hold back after the schedule reveal. Taking to social media on Wednesday, Watt questioned whether the NFL’s overseas strategy is beginning to overshadow the game itself.

“International game slate is nearing the realm of traveling circus as opposed occasional showcase,” Watt posted on X.

It began with one international game in 2007, across the pond. But in 2026, for the first time in league history, nine games will be played all around the world, making this a true world tour. This is the first time that the NFL is heading to Paris and Australia, too. London remains a cornerstone of this plan, as the city will host three straight weeks of games from Oct. 4 through Oct. 18.

The upcoming season will also mark the fifth consecutive year in which the league stages regular-season games in at least two different countries, showing just how aggressively the NFL has leaned into its global expansion plans.

The NFL is also officially making South America a permanent fixture on the calendar, as it heads back to Brazil for the third year in a row. A high-profile Ravens-Cowboys matchup will be played there. The full slate now stretches across four continents and seven countries, involving 16 teams, exactly half the league. Last season’s seven-game international schedule had already set a record. The NFL topped it just one year later.

Furthermore, the NFL won’t be stopping at just nine games. League Commissioner Roger Goodell has expressed a desire for the number to be bumped up to 16 international games. That would only be possible if the current league schedule moves to an 18-game season for each team. It’s a sharp jump from the current maximum limit of 10 international games, according to the NFL Players Association. But the international market seems to have been successfully tapped into by the league, and they want to get more out of it.

Foreign audiences get a taste of a sport that is a key part of American culture. The NFL also arrives at this schedule with a lot of thought: teams that can draw out the biggest crowds are the usual frontrunners to be featured on the schedule. And they’re getting good returns on it as well: the San Francisco 49ers vs. Los Angeles Rams game in Melbourne has nearly sold out. The same is the case for the Bengals vs. Falcons game in Madrid, Spain. Goodell is living up to a big claim he made last year.

“We are serious about being a global sport,” he said.

That philosophy has been visible for years now. Outside of the COVID-affected 2020 season, the NFL has staged at least one international game every year since 2007. The league increasingly appears focused on building new fanbases in markets where football is still growing, rather than simply rewarding places where the sport is already established.

However, many want the game to stay the way it has been for all these years.

Ravens Athlete and Fans Don’t Look Too Excited in JJ Watt’s Comment Section

The reaction to the league’s latest travel plans did not just irk JJ Watt. It didn’t take long for certain athletes and fans to share their displeasure with the schedule.  Among the most vocal was Ravens linebacker Kyle Van Noy. 

“It’s all they care about in my opinion because it’s the biggest growth which means money,” Noy commented on JJ Watt’s post. “YouTube, Amazon, and all the streaming services are global. They going for it all JJ! Will be interesting seeing the game in the future, where I’m sure teams will play multiple games overseas.”

Watt’s comment section quickly turned into a sounding board for frustrated fans as well. The vibe among fans was less about global excitement, but more about logistical exhaustion. 

“Money. The answer is more money,” one fan wrote while expressing annoyance. “…these greedy owners won’t give the players grass fields even tho 92% of them want it, but international games and a possible 18 game schedule? Sign those greedy ba****ds up.”

Team owners have not shown the same zeal in listening to the players’ demands about getting a natural grass field instead of the artificial ones. The demand for it has grown even more with the soon-to-begin FIFA World Cup as well. But there seems to be more work done on trying to get an international game rather than addressing these needs.

“An east coast team flying over to London is one thing, but sending teams to Australia to play on a cricket patch doesn’t seem to prioritize players’ health and safety,” a concerned fan wrote.

Playing a game outside of the US is more than just the allure. Players have to adjust to a new routine and time zone. And if not done properly, there might be repercussions. The Rams arrived in London for their international game last year only 30 hours before it began. Imagine the trouble the team would have to take to make their trip to Australia, where they play next year.

Travel itself has become a major talking point around the 2026 schedule. According to betting analyst Bill Speros, NFL teams are expected to combine for nearly 629,000 air miles this season. He noted that the total equals “25.2 trips around the circumference of the Earth, or 2.63 times the distance to the Moon.” No team will feel that burden more than the 49ers, who are reportedly set to travel 38,105 miles while changing time zones 58 different times because of games in both Australia and Mexico City.

“Australia, is the flag atop the circus tent,” another fan wrote. “49ers traveling a reported 38k in air miles this season is mad.”

Even 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan publicly voiced frustration earlier in the offseason over the team’s international travel demands. While the NFL has attempted to ease some of the burden by adjusting kickoff windows and giving teams extra time around those games, the travel strain remains difficult to ignore.

“They don’t care about Americans who built this game obviously enough to cut back on games,” another agitated fan wrote. “No they add them! 9:30 am starts. Everything about it is ridiculous.”

The debate does come down to this very important question: What about the most loyal fans of this game, who remain home in America? They have to take the pains of waking up that early to watch Joe Burrow take on the Falcons. He might be very happy at getting to be able to pack his bags for the trip, but fans will be disgruntled.

And for critics like Watt, that is where the concern really begins. International games were once viewed as occasional events that added novelty to the NFL calendar. Now, with the league openly discussing 16 overseas games and an eventual 18-game regular season, many around the sport are wondering whether the balance between global expansion and the traditional rhythm of the season is beginning to shift too far.