JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jaguars are going back across the pond to London this year.
The NFL announced its slate of teams who are playing in the international games on Thursday morning, with the well-traveled Jaguars a part of that group. Jacksonville playing in London wasn’t a surprise. The team signed a three-year contract in 2022 to play a game at Wembley Stadium.
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Also joining Jacksonville in the international series are the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings in London and the Carolina Panthers in Munich, Germany.
Each team’s opponent, along with the dates and kickoff times will be announced when the 2024 schedule is revealed this spring.
Jacksonville has played 11 games in London, nearly double that of Miami, which has played the second-most games (6) out of the country. The Jaguars are 6-5 in London, including back-to-back wins there last season. It was the first time in league history that a team has played consecutive international games. The Jaguars beat the Falcons 23-7 at Wembley Stadium and then beat the Bills 25-20 at Tottenham Hotspur.
Jacksonville is coming off a turbulent and disappointing 9-8 season that ended with a 28-20 loss to the Titans last Sunday. After an 8-3 start, the Jaguars lost five of their last six and missed the playoffs. Coach Doug Pederson fired essentially the entire defensive staff on Monday night.
Jacksonville has played games in London every year since 2013 with the exception of the pandemic in 2020. Owner Shad Khan had intentions of taking two home games to London in 2020, a move that created a massive uproar locally. The pandemic scuttled those plans.
The Jaguars have made London their home away from home and it’s a financial windfall for the franchise. The Jaguars have said that one home game in London results in 11 to 15% of their total local revenue. Jacksonville runs games in London just as it does a traditional home game at EverBank Stadium. The exchange rate — one British pound sterling is $1.28 — plays a factor in the team making more money.
Teams who are selected to play an international regular season game can select two opponents who won’t be eligible to take part in that game. That allows teams like the Jaguars to protect two regular season home opponents from being scheduled overseas.
The NFL’s interest in going beyond the U.S. for games started in 2005 when Arizona and San Francisco played at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. Since then, 50 games have been played outside the country. London has hosted 36 of those. Toronto (6), Mexico City (5), Frankfurt (2) and Munich (1) have also served as hosts.
Starting in 2025, the NFL has the ability to boost international games to as many as eight. That measure was approved during the NFL league meetings last month in Dallas.
In addition to the three London games and the game in Munich, São Paulo, Brazil, will also host an NFL game in 2024.
The designated team for the historic first game in Brazil will be named in the coming months ahead of the announcement of the 2024 NFL schedule.