THE NFL has made major changes to the schedule for 2025 which are a first step towards Roger Goodell’s vision.
League bosses have announced a number of games to be played already – months out from the anticipated schedule release in May.
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Roger Goodell with President Donald Trump at the Super Bowl in New Orleans, Louisiana last weekendCredit: Getty
The Super Bowl would be shifted to Presidents Day Weekend under Roger Goodell’s plansCredit: Getty
Six games have already been confirmed for the 2025 season.
Those will all take place in Europe with two more international fixtures expected to be added.
Three will take place in London, England, again while one is also being staged in Germany like the 2024 season.
A new addition on the schedule will see the Miami Dolphins play the first ever game in Madrid, Spain.
And Dublin, Ireland will host a game for the first time ever with the Pittsburgh Steelers the home team.
The NFL is expected to return to Brazil after last year’s game in Sao Paulo between the Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles.
Mexico City could also be back on the schedule after the Estadio Azteca’s renovations ahead of the 2026 Fifa World Cup.
That would take the NFL to eight international games – halfway to Goodell’s plan of 16.
Melbourne, Australia has also been confirmed as a host for a game in 2026.
“The ownership’s approved eight games already,” Goodell said in Brazil last year.
“I hope to get that to 16 at some point in the future. Let’s see how that goes.”
The next step in Goodell’s vision is to increase to an 18-game schedule from the current 17.
That would also see the pre-season schedule slashed and have a knock-on effect for the Super Bowl.
The NFL boss would like to see the Super Bowl pushed back a week.
That would mean it falls on Presidents Day weekend – meaning a national holiday the Monday after the game.
“I think we’re good at 17 now,” Goodell said on the Pat McAfee Show last year.
“But, listen, we’re looking at how we continue. I’m not a fan of the preseason.
“The reality is, I’d rather replace a preseason game with a regular-season game any day. That’s just picking quality.
“If we get to 18 and 2, that’s not an unreasonable thing.”
He added that the Super Bowl “ends up on Presidents Day weekend, which is a three-day weekend, which makes the game Sunday night and you have Monday off.”
The Super Bowl was moved back one week when the regular-season increased from 16 to 17 games.
Super Bowl LX will take place on February 8, 2026 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
