Aaron Rodgers' International Schedule Proposal Reportedly Has No Support From NFL Owners

NFL owners are reportedly not behind the "international week" idea recently proposed by Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

According to Mark Maske of Front Office Sports, there is "virtually no support" among NFL owners and management for Rodgers' suggestion of playing 16 international games in a single week.

One source told Maske, "You'd be competing against yourself. It's a nonsensical concept."

Following the Steelers' 16-10 win over the New Orleans Saints last weekend in Paris, Rodgers took some shots at the manner in which the NFL deploys its international games before telling reporters that he would support one week of international games with an added bye week.

"There was talk about doing a week—an international week—where you had games in 16 different places and you just added an extra bye week. So you play 16 regular-season [weeks], you have two bye weeks—one of those weeks would've been an international week.

"I think it would've been phenomenal for the game. Now, the owners wanted to push for 17 games for the extra revenue and because they care so much about player safety, but it would've been nice."

Per Maske, the NFL and its players "never discussed" the idea of an international week during collective bargaining discussions in 2020, and it "won't be considered" moving forward.

Since 2005, the NFL has played international games annually outside of the 2020 season, which was impacted by COVID-19.

While most of those international games have taken place in London, it has expanded to include Mexico, France, Germany, Spain, Ireland, Brazil and Australia.

A record nine international games will be played this season, and the league figures to continue expanding the slate in the years to come.