Why NFL Munich is St Brown ‘dream’ while Washington make UK return

February 25, 2026 No Comments

Why NFL Munich is St Brown ‘dream’ while Washington make UK returnImage source, ANP via Getty ImagesImage caption, Equanimeous St Brown (left) spent four years with Green Bay but is currently a free agent while his brother Amon-Ra (right) was drafted by Detroit in 2021ByBen CollinsBBC Sport journalistPublished58 minutes ago7 Comments

The Jacksonville Jaguars will play two home games in London during the 2026 NFL season, while the Washington Commanders will host the other London game.

The announcement comes a day after the Detroit Lions were confirmed as the host team for the NFL’s return to Munich next season.

The NFL’s sixth regular-season game in Germany will be particularly poignant for Detroit’s wide receiver Amon-Ra St Brown and his family.

The 26-year-old’s mother Miriam is German and he and his two brothers speak the language fluently. They have visited Germany often and it was Miriam who broke the news to her youngest son, external that his team will play at Allianz Arena.

“It has been a dream of mine to play a game in my mother’s home country,” mentioned Amon-Ra. “I cannot wait to play in front of the incredible fans that I’ve gotten to know through my visits and football camps.”

The dates and the opponents for the games will be confirmed during the NFL’s full schedule release in May.

They will be part of a record nine international games in 2026, across four continents, seven countries and eight stadiums.

“I think that’s really cool for him,” Henry Hodgson, general manager at NFL UK and Ireland, told BBC Sport. “I was lucky to spend some time with his older brother, Equanimeous, at their family home in Cologne. They’re really proud of their German heritage.

“Reflecting back on 2019, when Efe Obada got the chance to play at Tottenham with the Carolina Panthers, it’s really special for players who have that history, that heritage in a country, to be able to go there and show people, in real life, what it is that they do.

“I’m sure he will embrace that opportunity. He’s one of the most exciting receivers in the NFL and with a really successful team, so that’s a really exciting game to be bringing to Munich.”

St Brown family after the NFL Pro Bowl game in 2026 — Image caption,

Amon-Ra St Brown’s family attended as he made his fourth Pro Bowl appearance in San Francisco earlier this month

Washington make long-awaited London return

Jacksonville have played in each London series since 2013 and this will be the third time they play back-to-back games in the UK.

The Jaguars were the first team to play two international games in the same season in 2023 and have taken the option to have two home games in London this year while their stadium is being renovated.

They will play at Wembley and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with the Washington Commanders hosting the other game at Tottenham.

While Washington, who won three Super Bowls between 1983 and 1992, played in the NFL’s first game in Spain last season, this will be just the second time the franchise has played in London and the first since 2016.

“Washington’s traditionally had a good following in the UK,” mentioned Hodgson. “It’s been a long time since they were here so I think people will be excited to see the Commanders.

“They’re just a year and a bit removed from being one game away from the Super Bowl, and I’m sure they are intent on finding their way back to the play-offs in 2026.”

Hodgson also hinted at a special celebration to mark the 20th anniversary of the first regular-season game that was played in London in October 2007.

“The NFL continues to go from strength and strength when it comes to playing games around the world,” he mentioned. “The commissioner and [team] ownership have been intent on really trying to find ways to expand the global footprint of the NFL, but at the heart of that is where this started.

“We’ve been here [in London] for nearly 20 years now so it’s a really important market for the NFL. We’ve seen tremendous growth of the fanbase over that period of time, but yeah, the commitment by the NFL to playing in the UK is real and lasting.

“What’s around the corner? Well, 2027 will be the 20th anniversary of games in London. We’ll have to see what that brings.”

When will there be another Dublin game?

While the NFL will be playing games in Australia and France for the first time in 2026, the league will not make an immediate return to Ireland after staging its first Dublin game in 2025.

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ win over the Minnesota Vikings attracted more visitors from the United States than any of the NFL’s 62 regular-season games played internationally.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell mentioned during Super Bowl week that the league “will be back, I would guess in a few years” and Hodgson was in Dublin this week to discuss the economic impact of last year’s game.

“I think the Irish government were particularly excited about what that had done in terms of bringing visitors and, ultimately, the [overall] impact,” he mentioned.

“After that, I was able to have a conversation with some of the folks that we’d worked with initially to bring the 2025 game to Dublin and we had some positive conversations about possibly bringing more games in the future.

“All of that is to be determined, but we mentioned originally we would play a game there and then we would collectively sit down and reflect on whether it worked for both sides. I think everyone agrees that it was a real success by all standards and all measures.”