The Denver Broncos traveled across the pond last week and left London with a (sloppy) 13-11 win over the New York Jets. It might not be long before the Broncos play another international game.
The Broncos were the designated “road” team in England (even though it felt like a home game), and they will be required to “host” an international game sometime between 2026 and 2029 (the NFL announced in 2022 that every team would be required to lose a home game at least once every eight years for an international game).
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The list of countries that could host NFL games in 2026 includes England, Germany, Australia, Brazil, Spain, Mexico and Ireland. After Denver’s win in the U.K. on Sunday, coach Sean Payton was asked if he’s open to playing more international games, perhaps with a visit to Spain in 2026.
“Yeah,” Payton said. “When I first started this — there are certain things you do differently when you get older through experience, and one of the things I’ve found is bringing a team on the road for a period of time is beneficial. In New Orleans, we were relocated three or four times because of hurricanes, literally. Three different times we spent a week somewhere else. I always thought our team was better for it.
“To answer your question, yes, we were hoping to get this game. And when you get it, the way our season sets up now, when you’re nine home, seven away, when you get this as an away game, you know, it’s a plus because it’s kind of a neutral field. So I like traveling the team. I think they’re around each other, and I think it’s a positive.”
The Broncos’ designated international market is Mexico, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see the team “host” a game in Mexico down the road. Wherever the next international game is played, Payton hopes it’s not another 13-11 nail-biter.
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“I’m proud of the way these guys fought here in the last really two and a half, three weeks, and I think our experience coming over here was fabulous,” Payton said of the team’s recent travel. “So hopefully it won’t be the last and hopefully won’t be the same nail-biting type game we just had. But it was a good win.”
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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: NFL: Sean Payton wants more international games for Broncos