Of the 32 current NFL franchises, the Jaguars were the most likely to move to London. Now that the Jaguars have a deal with Jacksonville for a renovated stadium, they won’t be moving to London.
If not them, then who?
Probably no one. At least not anytime soon.
Really, who would it be? First, a team would have to be unable or unwilling to stay in its current city. Then, that team would have to choose being in London — and everything that goes along with that.
For starters, it makes more sense to have two teams in London than one, since it would create a natural rivalry and give both teams one road game that would be very close to home. Even then, there are logistical issues that would be hard to overcome, absent the return of supersonic passenger flight.
A road trip for a London team wouldn’t be one night away. It would be multiple weeks, with 3-4 games played in the U.S. before the team goes home.
Beyond that are issues with taxes and exchange rate and getting players to choose to live there. And if the league were to give the London team(s) extra cap space or draft picks, and if the London team(s) thrive, many will say that the benefits were excessive and unfair.
Also, some players would refuse to sign with a London team(s), setting the stage for draft picks making power plays far more often than every 20 or more years. And if/when draft picks refuse to sign with London and get their way, other draft picks might refuse to sign with other teams.
Finally, what happens when the London team makes the playoffs and, for example, hosts Seattle in the wild-card round? Or plays in San Francisco?
For all those reasons, the best approach is to keep doing what the league has been doing — and to expand it. Multiple games per year in London. Up to eight, the football equivalent of the shrink-wrapped variety pack of small cereal boxes.
While the league will surely reserve the right to dangle a periodic carrot regarding the possible relocation of a team, that’s just a way to coax the London media to take NFL football more seriously. It’s becoming more and more clear that the likelihood of a team being based in London is low.
With the Jaguars not doing it, there’s really no one else who will.
