Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers spoke after the 16–10 win over the New Orleans Saints in Paris. Rodgers said the NFL once discussed a plan for games at 16 different international venues. In his account, the plan would have included an additional bye week.

Rodgers Wanted a Full Week Abroad

“ There were discussions about an international week with games at 16 different locations, and they would have simply added an extra bye week,” Rodgers said, according to ESPN. Under that model, teams would have played 16 regular-season weeks and had two weeks off. One of them would have been the international week.

Rodgers called the idea great for football. In his view, a full week of games outside the United States would have supported the league’s expansion efforts. The Steelers quarterback has already played in international NFL games in London, Dublin and Paris.

Instead, according to Aaron Rodgers, team owners chose to expand the schedule to 17 games. He cited additional revenue and what he saw as a disingenuous appeal to player safety as the reasons.

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“The owners wanted to push for 17 games because of the additional revenue and because they care so much about player safety,” Rodgers said, paraphrasing his remarks.

More Time for Teams and Communities

Rodgers also argued that teams should travel earlier for their international games. In his view, teams should arrive in the host city on Sunday or Monday so players and organizations can get to know the local culture better.

The 42-year-old also pointed to potential events and community work at the destination. However, he said there is no requirement to arrive earlier. Rodgers questioned whether financial reasons were behind that and accused NFL owners of being unwilling to invest enough in such activities.

“They’d have to open their wallets,” Aaron Rodgers said. In his view, the league should require teams to travel earlier so they have more time for events and outreach projects in each city.

Along with France, the NFL also held its first regular-season game in Australia this year. Nine international games are planned for 2026 in Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, Mexico, Spain and England. Rodgers’ proposal for a fully international week is not currently part of that plan.