The wait is over and the 2024 NFL London games are here! Here is your quick guide to one of the biggest months on the UK sporting calendar…
A star-studded cast of Aaron Rodgers, Justin Jefferson, Caleb Williams and Trevor Lawrence will cross the pond as the league continues its dramatic start to the 2024 campaign in the capital.
It marks the 17th year that a regular season game has been played in London since the New York Giants beat the Miami Dolphins in the first back in 2007, 2020 being the only year not to have hosted a game due to the coronavirus pandemic.
What are the games?
Long before the days of International regular season games, the UK notably hosted eight American Bowl pre-season exhibition games at Wembley between 1968 and 1993.
By Week Eight of the 2007 campaign, the Giants were moving to 6-2 with a 13-10 win over the Dolphins on their way towards winning Super Bowl XLII later that season.
The league returns this year having played 36 regular-season games in London, with teams now on a rotation that will see every side play in another country at least once every eight years.
History was made in 2022 when the Green Bay Packers became the 32nd and final franchise to make the trip, before the Denver Broncos and Jacksonville Jaguars met in front of a record London crowd of 86,215 at Wembley Stadium.
The Jaguars raised the bar again in 2023 by becoming the first team to play back-to-back regular season games in London as they met and beat both the Atlanta Falcons and Buffalo Bills, lifting their tally of UK games to a league-leading 11 in the process.
Wembley is now due to stage its 26th game, while Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – the only purpose-built stadium for NFL games outside of the US – will host its ninth and 10th games as the official ‘home of the NFL’ in the UK. The current deal will see two regular-season games played at Tottenham each year through to the end of the 2029-30 campaign.
Key statistics
Did somebody say there is a fourth game?
Who is ready for some Tuesday Night Lights?! The NFL Academy will play at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the second year running this month when they welcome the California-based De La Salle to London on October 8.
It comes after head coach Steve Hagen’s side stormed to a 35-0 shutout victory over US opponents Erasmus Hall in 2023 thanks to two touchdowns from Bryan Winter alongside scores from Ben Lax, Justus Seelig and Matthew Okunade for the Loughborough-based Academy.
The value of the exposure would be underlined after the game when defensive back Arthur de Boachie became one of multiple Academy players to receive Division 1 college offers from Campbell University, whose scouting team were in attendance.
The Academy continues to serve as one of the most meaningful signs of football’s growth overseas, as much reflected by the league launching an identical programme in Australia.
Already in its short existence it has seen the likes of offensive lineman Daniel Akinkunmi join Oklahoma and Emmanuel Okoye sign with Tennessee, while tight ends Peter Clarke and Seydou Traore are currently playing for Temple and Mississippi State, respectively, among a host of life-changing stories.
Meet the teams
The New York Jets arrive in the UK with the NFL’s longest active playoff drought having not made it to the postseason since the 2010 campaign, but believe they are entering a new chapter of Super Bowl contention behind quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
The four-time MVP is in his first full season as starter with the Jets having suffered a year-ending Achilles injury just four plays into his debut in 2023 following his marquee trade from the Green Bay Packers.
Rodgers pilots a youthful offense spearheaded by star wide receiver Garrett Wilson and running back Breece Hall, both of whom were drafted in 2022, as the 40-year-old play-caller continues his search for a second Super Bowl ring.
Rodgers’ former Packers team-mate Allen Lazard currently leads the team with 206 receiving yards and three touchdowns, while veteran wideout Mike Williams is primed to see his role grow after signing during the offseason.
Will McDonald IV has recorded a team-high five sacks and eight pressures so far this season at the heart of a defense ranked second against the pass and third in total yards, with Quinnen Williams a familiar focal point at defensive tackle.
Robert Saleh’s side sit 2-2 as they come off the back of an ugly 10-9 defeat to the Denver Broncos, with Rodgers and co. still seeking consistency as they bid to mount a Championship charge.
The Minnesota Vikings have emerged as one of the surprise packages of the 2024 NFL season having built a perfect 4-0 record across the opening month of the campaign despite the departure of quarterback Kirk Cousins earlier in the offseason.
The Vikings selected quarterback J.J. McCarthy in the first round of the Draft, only to see the former Michigan man suffer a season-ending knee injury. It would pave the way for Sam Darnold to resurrect his NFL career as he prepares to take on the Jets, six years on from being drafted by the New York franchise.
Darnold endured three difficult seasons with the Jets before being shipped to the Carolina Panthers in 2021, where he spent two years until heading to San Francisco as back-up to Brock Purdy with the 49ers.
Having signed with the Vikings this offseason, he has since thrown a league-high 11 touchdown passes while thriving in a Kevin O’Connell offense led by the NFL’s highest-paid wide receiver Justin Jefferson.
Running back Aaron Jones, meanwhile, has starred with 464 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns after moving across from the Packers earlier this year.
But while Darnold has been the headline-maker, the Vikings’ early success has also been built on the blitz-heavy attack from Brian Flores and his defense.
Star pass rusher Danielle Hunter departed in free agency, but Flores has found production from an ‘everybody eats’ cast featuring Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, Patrick Jones II, rookie Dallas Turner and all-action utility man Josh Metellus.
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Highlights of the Jacksonville Jaguars against the Atlanta Falcons from Week Four of the NFL season
The Jaguars are back for their 12th game in London having enjoyed back-to-back wins over the Falcons and Bills on their two-week stay this time last year.
How they would love to match that this season, with Doug Pederson’s side still looking for their first victory of the campaign after suffering late heartbreak in the final seconds against the Houston Texans in Week Four.
Trevor Lawrence is in his fourth year with the Jaguars after becoming the No 1 pick at the Draft in 2021, with the former Clemson quarterback signing a five-year, $275m contract extension during the offseason.
Among his weapons on offense is impressive first-rounder Brian Thomas Jr, who is already on his way to establishing himself as Lawrence’s primary target with 17 catches for a team-high 275 yards and two touchdowns through four games.
Travis Etienne leads the way out of the backfield with 47 carries for 214 yards as part of a stuttering offense that is ranked 25th in total yards.
Jacksonville’s defense has also faced a similarly slow start, ranking 30th in yards while struggling to rush the passer as it awaits more from 2022 first-round pick Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen. There isn’t a team in the league more in need of a win upon landing in London.
UK fans will get a glimpse at one of the potential future faces of the league as Caleb Williams leads out the Chicago Bears against fellow No 1 overall pick Lawrence.
Williams was drafted out of USC earlier this year as one of the most highly-regarded quarterback prospects in recent years, with Chicago moving on from Justin Fields in order to put their faith in the former Heisman Trophy winner.
His reputation out of college was that of a Patrick Mahomes-esque creator, with the ability to devastate defenses off-script, the arm talent to defy passing angles out of structure and the athleticism to pose a rushing threat on the ground.
Williams finds himself surrounded by as much talent as any No 1 pick quarterback could wish for, the Bears acquiring veteran wide receiver Keenan Allen and drafting first-round receiver Rome Odunze to bolster a receiving corps already including DJ Moore.
Ryan Poles also signed dual-threat running back D’Andre Swift and veteran tight end Gerald Everett in free agency.
It has been a mixed start to life in the NFL for Williams, whose accuracy and decision-making has faltered at times while he continues to adjust to not only the speed of experienced pass rushers but also the coverages being thrown at him. Within that, though, have been signs of the explosive plays that fuelled his stock.
League royalty heads to London when the six-time Super Bowl champion New England Patriots face the Jaguars at Wembley Stadium this month. But for all their historic success, this is very much a new era for the franchise amid their first year under head coach Jerod Mayo following the departure of the great Bill Belichick after 24 seasons at the helm, the last of which ended in a career-worst 4-13 record.
Mayo had previously served as Patriots inside linebacker coach before being promoted to the top job as one of the league’s most highly-regarded footballing minds.
The downfall of Belichick in Foxboro had ultimately stemmed from the failure to find a long-term answer at quarterback since the exit of Tom Brady, with 2021 first-round pick Mac Jones unable to build on the promise of his rookie year.
Mayo sought to find a solution this offseason by drafting North Carolina’s Drake Maye with the third overall pick, electing to let him sit and learn behind veteran Jacoby Brissett through the opening weeks of the campaign.
New England are 1-3 in the opening month as they continue to struggle on offense, Rhamondre Stevenson accounting for 267 rushing yards and two touchdowns but four fumbles on the ground, and tight end Hunter Henry posting a team-high 14 catches for 148 yards amid limited opportunities for Demario Douglas.
Among their notable performers has been second-year edge rusher Keion White with four sacks as part of a defense ranked second-worst in pressure rate, while Christian Gonzalez is a name to watch as one of the league’s slickest downfield cover cornerbacks.
Will Louis Rees-Zammit play?
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Former Wales rugby player Louis Rees-Zammit played in four different positions in his Kansas City Chiefs debut!
In short, it is highly unlikely. Former Wales rugby star Louis Rees-Zammit is set to travel with the Jaguars as part of the team’s practice squad for their two-week stay in the UK. He signed with the team earlier this summer having spent time with the Kansas City Chiefs on the back of his shock move to step away from rugby and join the NFL’s International Player Pathway programme.
The 23-year-old played in all three pre-season games for the Chiefs in August, seeing snaps at running back, wide receiver and on special teams as a punt and kick returner. Having primarily worked out as a running back with the Chiefs, he has since switched to wide receiver in Jacksonville.
NFL teams are typically granted 16 slots on their practice squad, with an additional 17th spot created for international players. Rees-Zammit would need to be elevated from the practice squad to the active roster in order to be eligible to play during the regular season.
The NFL’s world tour continues
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Neil Reynolds, Jason Bell and Dante Hall couldn’t help but dance along as the Frankfurt crowd all joined in a rendition of ‘Take Me Home, Country Roads’
The road trip continues later this season when the NFL heads to Germany for a third straight year as the Carolina Panthers take on the New York Giants at Munich’s Allianz Arena on Sunday November 10, live on Sky Sports NFL.
It continues as part of the German city’s alternation with Frankfurt, which hosted two games in 2023 after Tom Brady had led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to victory over the Seattle Seahawks in Munich in 2022.
The league’s international expansion took new strides this year as the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers faced off in the first regular-season game to be held in Brazil at Sao Paulo’s Arena Corinthians in Week One.
It was also confirmed in February that the league will stage its first game in Spain at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, home to Real Madrid, during the 2025 campaign.
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The NFL played its first game in Brazil during Week One of the season
What else is happening?
The annual return of the London games presents a unique window in which the league is able to celebrate and champion its dedicated UK fanbase.
The Vikings are set to take over Outernet London for a full-day interactive event on Saturday October 5, with fans able to enjoy activities on the LED screens while diving into the history of the franchise.
The Jets, meanwhile, are hosting their own interactive fan experience at Ely’s Yard, where fans of all ages can take part in quarterback challenges, compete for exclusive Jets merchandise and meet team legends.
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will then play host to the Girls NFL Flag Continental Series Europe on Monday October 7, bringing together girls aged under 14 from the UK, Germany, France, Austria and Spain to compete, with Team UK represented by London’s Ealing Fields.
How to watch on Sky Sports
You can watch Williams and the Bears face Lawrence and the Jaguars from Tottenham Hotspur Stadium live on Sky Sports NFL on Sunday October 13, with kick-off at 2.30pm.
The live coverage then continues with Sky Sports NFL’s exclusive 6pm and 9.25pm matchups, before the Giants take on the Cincinnati Bengals in Sunday Night Football.
Sky Sports+ has officially launched and will be integrated into Sky TV, streaming service NOW and the Sky Sports app – giving Sky Sports customers access to over 50 per cent more live sport this year at no extra cost. Stream The new EFL season, Test cricket and more top sport with NOW.
