SAN JOSE, Calif. — The road to Super Bowl LX took a sharp detour through international waters and courtroom drama on Monday. With the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots preparing to clash at Levi’s Stadium, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell took the podium at the San Jose Convention Center and wasted no time reshaping the league’s global footprint.
The headline grabber? The NFL is officially heading to Paris.
Goodell confirmed the New Orleans Saints will host the league’s first-ever regular-season game in France at the Stade de France in 2026. It’s the crown jewel of a massive international slate that expands to nine games next season—up from seven in 2025—including a long-awaited return to Mexico City.
The league isn’t just dipping a toe in international waters; it’s doing a cannonball. Goodell made it clear that the ultimate target is 16 international games annually, ensuring every franchise plays abroad once a season.
“We’re getting great reactions from our teams,” Goodell told the assembled media. “They all want to play. One of the greatest things from last season was talking to our players and our coaches about how proud they were to be there.”
The 2026 slate marks a pivotal shift. With the Saints marching into Paris and the Mexico City game back on the calendar after stadium renovations for the World Cup, the NFL’s borderless ambition is now a logistical reality.
While the international news was sunny, the mood shifted when the topic turned to two massive controversies clouding the league: Bill Belichick’s exclusion from the Hall of Fame and Giants co-owner Steve Tisch’s connection to the “Epstein Files.”
Belichick, the architect of the Patriots dynasty playing for another ring this Sunday without him, failed to secure the necessary votes in his first year of eligibility. Goodell navigated the snub with diplomatic precision but didn’t hide his personal stance.
“That’s a Hall of Fame career… There’s a lot of people who want to be in that Hall of Fame, and Bill Belichick deserves to be in that Hall of Fame too.” — Roger Goodell, NFL Commissioner
On the Tisch front, Goodell faced heat regarding the Giants co-owner’s reported inclusion in documents related to Jeffrey Epstein. Goodell refused to commit to an immediate investigation, sticking to a strict “wait-and-see” approach.
“We are going to look at all the facts,” Goodell stated firmly. “We’re going to try to understand that, and we’ll see how that falls under the policy. But I think we take one step at a time.”
Despite the fanfare of Super Bowl week, the league’s hiring cycle remains a sore spot. Of the 10 head coaching vacancies filled this winter, only one minority candidate—Robert Saleh to the Tennessee Titans—landed a top job. Zero Black head coaches were hired, leaving just three (Todd Bowles, DeMeco Ryans, Aaron Glenn) across the entire league.
Goodell defended the Rooney Rule but admitted the results aren’t landing. “Teams are trying to get the coach that they think can win,” he said. “Taking the time pressure off… to give them that time so they can make a really good decision independently, but one that is based on being able to look at a diversity of candidates. I think that only benefits the NFL.”
Don’t bet the house on an 18-game schedule just yet. Goodell tapped the brakes on expanding the regular season immediately, calling it “not a given.” With the current CBA running through 2031, any push for an 18th game will require serious negotiation with the players’ union, specifically regarding roster expansion and a potential second bye week.
