With the NFL announcing the teams who will host international games next season, the Detroit Lions seem well in line to make an overseas trip.
Thursday morning, the NFL announced the five teams who will host international games during the 2023 season. All are in the AFC, since that conference has the ninth home game for the 17-game schedule, and one is on the Detroit Lions schedule.
The Buffalo Bills, Tennessee Titans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs and New England Patriots are the overseas “home” teams for 2023. The Jaguars are of course locked into hosting a London game, and the Bills and Titans will join them there.
The Chiefs and Patriots will host games in Germany next season. With cross-conference division crossovers the NFC North plays the AFC West next season, so the Chiefs are on the Lions schedule and will also be one of Kansas City’s road opponents.
The Lions have not played an international game since 2015, coincidentally against the Chiefs (a 45-10 loss for the Lions). A new rule for last year guarantees a team will play an international game at least every eight years, and it’s been eight years now for the Lions. They were scheduled to play the Jaguars in London in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic canceled international games that season.
Detroit Lions may be headed to Germany to play the Chiefs next season
The other Chiefs home opponent next season within the NFC North is the Chicago Bears. The Philadelphia Eagles, Miami Dolphins and Cincinnati Bengals make some sense to play the Chiefs in Germany too, and it’s worth noting last year’s international games were all between teams in the same conference.
The Lions have not played at Arrowhead Stadium since 2003, which may be a thing the schedule makers consider. If this year’s game against the Chiefs is in Germany, the Lions would end up going 28 years without playing at Arrowhead. The Lions last played the Chiefs in 2019, at Ford Field, losing 34-30 to the eventual Super Bowl champions.
As an up and coming team primed to take another step next season, the Lions make a ton of sense to play Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in Germany. So some fans may want to secure or update their passports and learn some German in preparation.
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