With the NFL set to play a game in Germany, the Detroit Lions seem all but guaranteed to play an international game next season.
The Detroit Lions last played an international game in 2015. As noted by Kyle Meinke of MLive, it was not a great trip overseas.
"The Detroit Lions offloaded a few coaches before boarding their flight to London during a disastrous start to the 2015 season. Then they got crushed by the Kansas City Chiefs before flying back stateside and immediately firing their team president and general manager, setting into motion a chain of events that would lead to the eventual hiring of Bob Quinn and the firing of Jim Caldwell and the hiring of Matt Patricia and the firing of Quinn, Patricia and just about everyone else.Needless to say, a lot has happened since the Lions last played abroad."
On Wednesday, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announced an expansion of the league’s set of international games. Starting next season, a game will played in Germany in each of the next four seasons. The host cities will be Munich and Frankfurt, with Munich getting the 2022 game.
That will bring the total of international games on the 2022 NFL regular season schedule to five–three in the United Kingdom and one in Mexico as well. The Jacksonville Jaguars are of course guaranteed to get one game in their defacto second home of Wembley Stadium.
The Detroit Lions seem in line to play an international game in 2022
As NFL.com noted, the advent of the 17-game schedule means each team is required to play an overseas game at least once every eight years. As Meinke noted, along with not having played an international game since 2015, the Lions have never had to give up a home game for an international game and they have an extra home game next season. It feels like a certainty the Lions will have an international game in 2022.
You gotta wonder if the Lions will land in one of these games this year. They haven't had an international game since 2015 and are on the short list of teams that has never had to give up a home game. They have an extra one this year, too. https://t.co/ovQvSWOERa
— kyle meinke (@kmeinke) February 9, 2022
As for potential opponents the Lions could have overseas next season (let’s rule them out of the Mexico game), taking out division opponents and a home game against the Jaguars, the Washington Commanders, Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, Philadelphia Eagles and Seattle Seahawks stand as the likeliest options. The 2022 NFL schedule release is expected in May.