The NFL Just Made It Way Easier to Ship the Lions to Germany Every Year
Don’t act surprised when the Lions end up playing in Germany every single season. The writing isn’t just on the wall anymore, it’s carved in stone and painted neon blue.
The NFL announced Tuesday they’re bumping international games from eight to 10 starting in 2027. More importantly, they stripped away teams’ ability to protect certain home games. Translation: if Roger Goodell wants your team in London, Munich, or Mexico City, you’re going whether you like it or not.
Let’s stop pretending this is about growing the game internationally. The NFL wants to take over the world, and they’re not being subtle about it. We’re probably decades away from seeing NFL teams permanently stationed in Germany or England, but this is how it starts. Slowly. Methodically. One extra international game at a time.
The Lions Are Germany’s Team Whether They Know It or Not
Here’s where it gets interesting for Detroit. The Lions have been courting Germany harder than a teenager asking someone to prom.
They’ve got Amon-Ra St. Brown, who’s become a legitimate star and happens to be German. They’ve got a German Instagram account with over 42,000 followers and counting. Hell, they even created a German version of Roary named Leo. That’s not casual international outreach, that’s a full-court press.
The Lions have been working to build their German fanbase since 2024. And it’s working. They wanted to play in Germany badly enough to give up a bye week to make it happen. That’s not the move of a franchise going through the motions.
If the Lions go to Germany, put on a show against the Patriots, win that game, and get thousands of Germans wearing Honolulu Blue and screaming their heads off, the NFL would be insane not to send them back every year.
Ford Field, Germany
Sure, it stings for Lions fans who would lose a home game at Ford Field every season. But if the Lions actually build a legitimate fanbase in Germany, it’s not really losing a home game. It’s just having a second home stadium that happens to be 4,000 miles away.
The NFL is playing the long game here. They want consistent teams in consistent countries building consistent fanbases. The Lions and Germany make too much sense to ignore.
Don’t rule this out. Don’t be shocked when it happens. And don’t say you weren’t warned when Amon-Ra St. Brown becomes the most famous American football player in Europe.
Are we watching the Lions accidentally become Germany’s team, or is this Brad Holmes playing 4D chess on an international level? Drop your take below.
This is actually genius when you think about it. Amon-Ra is basically a walking bridge between Detroit and Germany, and Holmes clearly saw that opportunity before anyone else. If we can turn Germany into a real second market for the Lions, that’s not losing a home game, that’s expanding what being a Lions fan means globally.
Look, I get what they’re doing with the Amon-Ra connection and all that, but I’m not thrilled about losing home games at Ford Field every year for this experiment. Goodell forcing it on teams without letting them protect games is exactly the kind of power grab that makes me nervous, even if our front office seems to have a better plan than most.
You know, back in the day we couldn’t even keep our team in the city, and here we are talking about having two home stadiums across the world. That’s wild. Holmes and Campbell actually get what it takes to build something lasting, not just survive week to week like we used to do.
Honestly the German Instagram account and Leo the mascot thing shows Brad Holmes is thinking way bigger than just winning on Sundays. This is brand building at the highest level and I’m here for it. Germany’s gonna be honolulu blue in a few years.