Aaron Rodgers hopes Packers can play in NFL London Game
Updated 20:02, 09-Feb-2019
Li Xiang
["north america"]
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers of NFL's Green Bay Packers expressed his hope of having his team playing in the NFL London Games after the Packers again missed the chance.
Before the 2019 NFL season starts, the league announced its international schedule: one game will happen in Mexico and another four in London. Eight teams will visit the British capital in matchups: Carolina Panthers vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Chicago Bears vs. Oakland Raiders, Cincinnati Bengals vs. Los Angeles Rams and Houston Texans vs. Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Panthers and the Texans will play their first London Games, thus leaving the Packers the league's only team to have competed in London.
Rodgers considered the outstanding attendance of the Packers (1,163,842 in total and 72,740 on average, No.3 in NFL, according to ESPN) as the reason behind the league's decision of not sending them to London.
Fans of the Green Bay Packers celebrate with Jaire Alexander #23. /VCG Photo

Fans of the Green Bay Packers celebrate with Jaire Alexander #23. /VCG Photo

"We travel too well. Nobody wants to give up a home game with the Packers because they know it's going to be a full house. We're not going to give up a home game, because we're sold out for the next 30 years and nobody wants to give up a home game when we come to town," said Rodgers.
Mark Murphy, president and CEO of the Packers, already made it clear that his team would not give up any home game. If the NFL is willing to put the team into one of the matchups in London in the future, the league then will have to convince one of the other teams to let go of one of their home games, probably losing an average of 67,645 in attendance.
The Packers already know seven of the eight opponents they will face at home in the 2020 season: the Bears, the Indianapolis Colts, the Minnesota Vikings, the Detroit Lions, the New Orleans Saints, the Buccaneers and the Texans. Considering that Tampa will host Super Bowl LV in 2021 and thus may play a "home game" in London, that could be the safest bet for the Packers.