Packers chances of playing in London remain uncertain

Richard Ryman
Green Bay Press Gazette

GREEN BAY – The NFL says four games will be played in London in 2019, but there's no word on whether the Green Bay Packers finally will be in one of them.

The Packers and Carolina Panthers are the only two teams that have not played outside the United States since the NFL began its International Series in 2007. The series includes 27 games to date, including the Los Angeles Rams and Kansas City Chiefs in Mexico City on Nov. 19.

Two of the 2019 games will be played at Wembley Stadium and two at the stadium being built for Premier League team Tottenham, which will have a retractable soccer field with a football field underneath.

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Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy has said the Packers are willing to play internationally, but they will not give up a home game to do so. Green Bay is the smallest market in the NFL and the loss of a home Packers game, estimated at $15 million in economic impact, would have a disproportionate effect on the local economy.

By the same token, opponents do not want to give up a home game against Green Bay because Packers fans travel so well, a fact on obvious display Oct. 28 when the team traveled to Los Angeles to play the Rams. L.A. Memorial Coliseum was packed with Green Bay fans.

The Packers schedule in 2019 will include the NFC East and the AFC West teams. Speculation has been that a Los Angeles Chargers-Packers matchup would make sense, but it's not clear the Chargers would be willing to give up a certain sellout at their temporary stadium in Los Angeles.

"We continue to be open to playing in London, however, we have not had any discussions on specific possibilities for next season," said Packers spokesman Aaron Popkey.

The NFL is expected to announce the London schedule by the end of the season.

The London games have grown in popularity. The Oct. 28 game between the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles and perennial London competitor Jacksonville Jaguars drew a record 85,870 fans and was the third consecutive sellout. The Eagles won 24-18. 

There are a good number of Packers fans in Europe who keep hoping the Packers will come to them. Packers groups exist in the United Kingdom and Ireland, France, Italy, Germany and Spain, among other countries.