NFL Expands International Games to 10 Per Season, Ends Team Protection
Starting in 2027, NFL owners have approved playing up to 10 international games annually and will no longer permit teams to protect opponents from being scheduled abroad.
Jeremy Fowler May 19, 2026, 05:01 PM ET Close Jeremy Fowler is a senior national NFL writer for ESPN, covering the entire league including breaking news. Jeremy also contributes to SportsCenter both as a studio analyst and a sideline reporter covering for NFL games. He is an Orlando, Florida native who joined ESPN in 2014 after covering college football for CBSSports.com. Follow on X
_Originally reported by [ESPN](https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/48819165/nfl-oks-10-intl-games-27-teams-protect-games)._
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