If you thought nine regular-season games outside the United States were a lot, buckle up. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell intends to take it to a whole new level, and it seems like a good idea, right? International exposure brings more money, more viewership. But when the same idea was floated by Jerry Jones, there was a different perspective to it, and the Cowboys owner is right.

For Jones, while international games can continue to expand, bringing new teams based in Europe won’t work, at least in the short term. 

Jerry chimed in on the discussion when a host on 105.3 The Fan asked, “Jerry, Roger Goodell has talked about wanting to expand the game and potentially have a team outside US borders. Is that logistically feasible? Do you think that could ever operate and work consistently to have a team that’s based outside the United States?”

In response, Jones said, “I don’t know that an expansion; I see the games continuing like they are, and I see the ethos, if you will, of the game, the story of the game really expanding all over the world. But fundamentally, I think that to have an expansion team probably is pretty far; if it’s here, it’s in the future.”

Jones’ comments come after Goodell discussed the NFL’s expanding presence beyond the United States during a conversation with RTL/ntv in August. “At some point, there will be NFL teams outside the USA,” Goodell told former NFL player Markus Kuhn during the interview. “I have no doubt that this will happen one day.”

On paper, that makes sense. The NFL is expanding rapidly. We have plenty of regular season games being played outside North America, and the next step would be to bring in an international team. There’s already popularity for the sport. And even though NFL Europe did fail, a team that’s playing in the biggest league for the sport could work.

That’s what makes Jones’s perspective confusing. Why would a team owner who’s turned the Cowboys into a global brand not want an international team? After all, that brings more business, more visibility, and takes the league to an entirely new level. 

The answer could be in logistical issues. The 2026 NFL Melbourne Game at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on September 11 also highlighted some of the challenges that come with taking an NFL game overseas. The long journey across the Pacific raised concerns about its impact on the team’s preparation, while some ticket holders complained about poor sightlines and issues with the stadium setup.

There are stadium quality and community support. Economic conditions, being the backbone of running a team, need to be strong, too. Then there are media deals and, most importantly, travel logistics. After all, it’s not just the 53-man roster.

There are the coaches, the team staff, and other personnel. For instance, when the Jaguars played back-to-back international games in 2023, they had to make travel arrangements for 180 people. That means flights, accommodations, stadium arrangements, the works.

Remember, all of this was for one or two games that took place internationally. For an international team to do so from Europe, South America, or Asia, this would turn into a logistical nightmare. 

That’s why Jones makes sense. Keep scaling the international games, and when the sport is big enough internationally, bring in an international team. But at the moment, the NFL’s plans look different. 

The NFL executive vice president of club business Peter O’Reilly said in May that taking the Super Bowl overseas is not a “front-burner issue” for the league right now. But Goodell already seems to have a plan in place. 

“There are definitely international cities that could host something like that,” Goodell said. “But we would like to see an NFL team in such a city first.”

So what’s the solution here? Well, the NFL could look into the way other North American sports leagues operate. Take the NHL or the WNBA, for instance. Both leagues have teams from Canada playing in the league. 

Perhaps the NFL could adopt something similar. Bring in a team from a country closer to the United States, and then expand into Europe, once the viewership and interest there expand. While the logistical issues won’t change, with a sustainable foundation, the league can create a better system. 

In any case, an expansion team will be a big deal for the league. The last time a new team was added to the NFL was in 2002, when the Houston Texans joined the league as the 32nd franchise. But with the NFL now traveling overseas to play games (this year it was Australia, while last year it was London), it already hints at how the league is trying to grow outside of the US borders.