NFL commissioner Roger Goodell made a significant announcement about a big addition to the league’s 2024 schedule at his pre-Super Bowl press conference on Monday.
Goodell revealed that the Philadelphia Eagles will be designated as the hosts for the league’s inaugural game in Brazil next season. This will mark the first NFL game ever to be played in South America.
Most notably, the game will be played on Friday night in Week 1, meaning it will join the customary kickoff weekend schedule.
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The NFL regular season customarily opens on a Thursday night, which will continue. In the past, however, the Week 1 schedule has otherwise followed the standard model, with games limited to Sunday and Monday. Adding another game on Friday ensures that the league will essentially dominate another night of the week, and by doing so for Week 1, they do not have to worry about giving any teams a short week prior to the game. This model was experimented with, albeit under different circumstances, by playing a game on Black Friday this past season.
The Eagles’ Week 1 opponent for the game was not immediately announced. In addition to their three NFC East rivals, the team is slated to host the Browns, Falcons, Jaguars, Steelers, Packers, and Panthers in 2024, so any one of those teams could get the assignment.
