The NFL’s global tour is rolling on, but the hangover might be lasting longer than the celebration. Imagine your favorite team grinding through a brutal, humid Friday night battle in Brazil. The samba music fades, the victory is sweet, but the real cost comes due ten days later.
The legs feel heavy, the timing is off, and a home opener that should’ve been a sure thing slips through their fingers. That’s the hidden toll of these international spectacles, a price the league seems eager to ignore as it doubles down on its overseas ambitions.
The NFL announced a major expansion into Brazil on September 26, committing to a minimum of three regular-season games in Rio de Janeiro over the next five years, starting in 2026. Commissioner Roger Goodell declared, “Building on the success of the games in São Paulo, we could not be more excited to play in one of the world's most iconic cities.” However, this “success” has a complicating footnote for the teams actually making the trip.
The Philadelphia Eagles, who helped launch the Brazil series in 2024, know this all too well. And their experience serves as a stark warning for the teams next on the schedule.
Eagles' Costly Victory
The Eagles’ 2024 opener in São Paulo was an historic, high-scoring 34-29 win over the Packers. Saquon Barkley was spectacular, but the team returned home visibly drained. Subsequently, they faced a sluggish Atlanta Falcons team on Monday Night Football.
The result was a stunning 22-21 loss where the offense faltered, scoring just 21 points. Analyst Warren Sharp’s data paints a damning picture: the four teams returning from Brazil the last two years averaged a paltry 18.5 points in their following game. Sharp noted, “Despite being 4 strong offenses (Packers, Chargers, Chiefs & Eagles) not a single team scored more than 21 points after playing in Brazil.”
The Eagles became a prime example of this offensive slump. And this trend repeated in 2025.
The Chiefs and Chargers battled in São Paulo on September 5th. While the Chargers won, both teams looked flat the next week. Kansas City managed only 17 points in a loss to the Eagles, and Los Angeles’s offense, though victorious over the Raiders, was held to 20 points. Hence, the pattern is undeniable.
The long travel, climate change, and disrupted routines create a competitive disadvantage that a short week can’t fix.
The Eagles' Expanding World
For the Eagles specifically, the league’s global push is a double-edged sword. They hold marketing rights in Brazil, which builds their brand but also makes them a likely candidate for future Rio trips. While Goodell celebrates the “tens of millions of fans,” the team’s focus is on the toll it takes.
The 2024 loss to Atlanta after the Brazil game was a clear reminder that every long-haul flight risks a critical early-season stumble. The league’s fixture puzzle is becoming a strategic nightmare for contending teams.
Now, the NFL’s vision is set. The world is its stage. But for the players stepping onto that stage, the journey comes with a physical tax that can’t be ignored. The Eagles have felt the sting of a post-Brazil letdown, and as the schedule expands to Rio and Melbourne, more teams will learn this hard lesson.
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The league is playing the long game for global dominance, but the teams are left to manage the short-term fatigue. In the end, every gain has its cost. The league just booked three more flights, but frequent-flyer points won’t block the punches.