Commanders Lined Up for Historic International Game in 2025?

The 2025 NFL Season is still a couple of months from officially beginning, but the league is already putting some things in place. One of those items may impact the Washington Commanders directly, it turns out.

With plenty of franchise and league history already made this season by the Commanders and their star quarterback Jayden Daniels, inspiring coach Dan Quinn, and just an all-around vibe of success brewing within, the team could be lined up to make more.

That is because when the NFL announced the Miami Dolphins would host the league's first-ever game in Madrid, Spain, it put Washington on the short list to be the first visiting team to ever play a game there.

Washington Commanders coach Dan Quinn and Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel. — Aug 17, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel and Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn shake hands after a preseason game at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

"The Miami Dolphins will play as the designated team in the historic first-ever regular-season game in Spain, as part of the 2025 International Games," the NFL announced Friday morning. "The 2025 NFL Madrid game will take pl at the iconic Bernabéu Stadium, home to Spanish soccer team Real Madrid C.F, in partnership with the city of Madrid and Comunidad de Madrid."

Now, we don't know when the game will take place, but if last season is any indication, it could be very early in the year.

While the Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs kicked off the 2024 NFL Season with a home win over the Baltimore Ravens Thursday night of Week 1, it was the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers who played Friday night in the league's first-ever game in Brazil.

Typically, teams playing an international game get a bye week afterward, but playing that game on Friday in the first week of the season allowed the league to get their international opener, make some history, and still have both the Packers and Eagles play in Week 2.

It would make sense for the league to do the same next season, and considering the Commanders haven't played overseas since the 2016 season when they dueled to a tie against the Cincinnati Bengals in London's Wembley Stadium, it would make sense for them to be the team that takes part in it.

Washington is one of four NFL franchises that hasn't played at least two international games so far and is the only team among them who are scheduled to visit the Dolphins this season.

So, you see, it just lines up well. And who wouldn't want to kick off the season with quarterbacks Jayden Daniels and Tua Tagovailoa dueling it out in Spain? Other than a Miami season ticket holder, that is.

Of course, there's also a precedent for the game in Spain to take place much later. When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers hosted the first-ever NFL game in Germany against the Seattle Seahawks, they did so in November.

No matter the historical context, there exists a one in nine chance that the Commanders will visit Miami next season in Spain, and that's reason enough to see passport applications among the fan base begin to rise in the very near future, we suspect.

The Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Jets, Cleveland Browns, and Indianapolis Colts are all scheduled to host international games next season as well. Washington will not visit any of those teams in 2025.

Stick with CommanderGameday and the Locked On Commanders podcast for more FREE coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the 2024 season.

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