The NFL’s global ambitions just took a massive leap — and in this hour of Jen, Gabe & Chewy, the crew asks whether the league has finally reached the “ouch point.”

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With the NFL announcing nine international games for the 2026 season, including destinations like Mexico City, Paris, Madrid, Rio de Janeiro, Munich — and Melbourne, Australia, the discussion quickly turns from excitement to realism. Europe is one thing. Australia is something else entirely.

🌍 Australia changes everything

The hosts break down why Melbourne feels fundamentally different from past international games:

A 20+ hour travel commitment for teams traveling from the U.S. Midwest

Massive time-zone swings (14–20 hours depending on coast)

Extended recovery windows

Disruption not just for one week — but potentially weeks afterward

Chewy shares firsthand experience from his playing days, recalling an 18–19 hour flight to Japan and how miserable it was for players — cramped seats, frustration, and the reality that NFL bodies aren’t built for that kind of travel midseason.

🧠 “Players love being ambassadors” — do they?

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell insists players “love” the international games and enjoy being ambassadors of the sport.

The crew reacts with disbelief — and laughter.

They point out:

Players rarely speak positively about overseas travel

Routines are disrupted

Sleep schedules are destroyed

Preparation suffers

The moment that sums it all up: Packers right tackle Zach Tom responding to Goodell’s comment with a crying-laughing emoji.

As Jen puts it, that emoji said more than any press conference ever could.

🏈 How would the Packers handle Australia?

The conversation shifts to the Green Bay Packers’ potential involvement, with the Rams announced as the home team for the Melbourne game — and the Packers scheduled to play in Los Angeles that season.

Given how well Packers fans travel, the crew debates whether fans would actually make the trip — especially with Australia being a bucket-list destination for many.

But for the team itself, the concerns pile up:

When do you arrive?

How many days do you need to acclimate?

Do you have to take a bye week afterward?

How does the NFL even schedule kickoff times with that time difference?

The hosts agree: if a team goes to Australia, the bye week afterward should be mandatory.

⏰ The NFL doesn’t care — and that’s the point

One of the strongest themes of the hour:

The NFL knows this is brutal — and they’re doing it anyway.

Chewy and Gabe agree the league’s motivation is simple:

Money

Market expansion

Television inventory

Player comfort and routine come second.

As Chewy bluntly puts it:

“I’m not sure they care.”

🎙️ Jason Wilde joins

Later in the hour, Jason Wilde joins to add perspective from inside the Packers’ orbit.

Wilde notes:

Matt LaFleur did a better job pretending to enjoy Brazil than London

Australia would be exponentially worse

Mark Murphy previously warned teams to expect international games every year or every other year

Wilde believes this expansion is permanent — and that teams need to mentally accept that this isn’t going away, no matter how players feel about it.

🌡️ Weather, timing & pure chaos

The crew even dives into climate considerations:

Australia’s seasons are flipped

October games could bring comfortable temps — or extreme heat

Midnight temperatures hovering around 70 degrees

It’s another variable stacked on top of an already complicated equation.

⚖️ The bottom line

Europe made sense.

Brazil was manageable.

Australia is a different beast.

The NFL’s global expansion is no longer about novelty — it’s about how much disruption the league is willing to tolerate in pursuit of money and reach.

And for players?

They may complain — but they’re along for the ride.

🎧 A wide-ranging, honest, and occasionally hilarious look at the NFL’s global ambitions, player reality, and why the league’s appetite for expansion may finally be co ...