Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling would much rather not be playing in Germany this week, and he is not hiding it.
The Chiefs will host the Miami Dolphins in Frankfurt on Sunday, putting a marquee game overseas in a rather surprising move. Valdes-Scantling is among those displeased with the move, though for him, it is more about the logistical challenges.
“Yeah, it sucks,” Valdes-Scantling said, via Bryan DeArdo of CBS Sports. “I mean, obviously it sucks that we have to travel nine hours for a home game when Arrowhead is right down the street. But obviously we do have other fans that are all over the world, not just in the United States. So it gives them the opportunity to see some of their favorite players play.
“I know we’ve got a lot of fans over in Germany, so I’m grateful that we get to give them that opportunity. But it does suck for the players to have to be away from their families, or (I’ve) got to find a babysitter for my dogs for a couple days. Things that we’ve got to take into account. But past that, it is what it is.”
The NFL’s international games are not universally popular among players, but they are not going anywhere. The travel is obviously difficult, but it cannot come as a surprise, and is just something that everyone involved has to adapt to. Some, like coach Andy Reid, even have some reasons to look forward to it.
