Could the New England Patriots play overseas in 2022?
It certainly is not out of the question as the NFL on Wednesday announced plans for a game in Munich next season. It will be the first regular-season NFL game in Germany.
Teams and dates for the international games will not be revealed until the 2022 schedule is released, according to the announcement. But should the Patriots head overseas at all in 2022, it very well may be to Germany.
That's because the Patriots were awarded the country as part of the league's International Home Marketing Areas initiative, which allows teams to organize marketing efforts, sponsorships, merchandise sales and events in other countries in an effort to develop international fanbases.
When the relationships between 18 participating teams and their countries were revealed in December, the NFL said it will "use its best efforts" to schedule international games for each team in its international market.
Three other teams also were awarded Germany in the International Home Marketing Areas initiative: the Carolina Panthers, Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Even if the Patriots aren't tabbed as one of the participants in the inaugural Germany game in 2022, they very well could be headed there down the road. The league's announcement Wednesday revealed plans for a total of four games in the country over the next four seasons, with another in Munich and two in Frankfurt.
The NFL also has plans for one game in Mexico and three in the United Kingdom in 2022. All 32 teams will play internationally at least once across the next eight seasons.
NESN's big game coverage is sponsored by Berkshire Bank.
