Full Breakdown
Aaron Rodgers Calls Out NFL Owners Over International-Week Plans
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event: Rodgers’ Public Critique After Paris Victory
Following the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 16-10 Week 7 win over the New Orleans Saints in Paris, quarterback Aaron Rodgers used the post-game press conference to argue for a dedicated “international week” in which every NFL team would play abroad. He suggested that owners should fund longer stays to let players experience local culture and warned that the league’s current focus on extra revenue limits such opportunities.
Background & Context: NFL’s Ongoing Global Push
The league has limited its regular-season overseas slate to nine games this season but has signaled intent to expand to ten. Executive Vice President Peter O’Reilly told owners that the NFL is evaluating which ten international sites would have the greatest impact. Regular-season games have been staged in London, Germany, Brazil and Australia, with the Melbourne matchup drawing more than 13,000 domestic media mentions and a crowd exceeding 100,000.
Data & Statistics: Attendance and Revenue Highlights
- Score: Steelers 16, Saints 10.
- Stadium capacity: Stade de France can hold about 82,000 spectators.
- Ticket sales: 70 % of French tickets were bought by local fans, another 10 % by buyers from other European countries.
- Revenue split: NFL teams retain roughly 66 % of ticket revenue; the remaining 34 % goes to a shared league pool.
- Broadcast viewership: NFL Network averaged 6.2 million viewers across six overseas games, a record for International Games broadcasts.
Official Statements & Responses
The league’s leadership reiterated its commitment to global growth. Goodell’s remarks about future games in Tokyo underscore a long-term schedule expansion plan. O’Reilly emphasized that any additional international contests will be selected for maximum impact and that the NFL will continue to allocate a portion of gate receipts to teams, preserving the 66 % share.
Verbatim Quotes
- “There was talk about doing a week -- an international week -- where you had games in 16 different places and you just added an extra bye week,” — Aaron Rodgers, for veteran
- “They would have to open up their pocketbooks, too, which -- you know, maybe they're a little tight on money and stuff,” — Aaron Rodgers, for veteran
- “There was talk about doing like an international week, where every team played out of the country, and we’re getting close to that,” — Aaron Rodgers, for veteran
- “Listen, Tokyo is clearly on our list, whether it’s next year or the year after,” — Roger Goodell, after NFL commissioner
- “We don’t announce sellouts, but the stadium is full,” — Brett Gosper, the NFL’s head of Europe and Asia-Pacific
What’s Next
The Steelers are scheduled to face the Saints again on Sunday, October 25 in Paris, providing another opportunity to observe how the league balances international expansion with player welfare.