Why Eagles Are Playing Jaguars in London Again; Will They Play International Game Every Year?

The Eagles are playing the Jaguars in London again. Here's why

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Eagles are going back to London.

In what will be the third International Series game in franchise history, the Eagles will square off against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. The game will be played on Sunday, October 11, at 9:30 a.m. ET on NFL Network -- Week 5 of the season.

This is another occasion the Eagles will play the Jaguars in London, albeit in a different stadium. The previous time the Eagles played the Jaguars in London was at Wembley Stadium in 2018. The Jaguars still play an International Series game there, but also play their other London game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium -- which was built for NFL football in mind.

So why are the Eagles playing the Jaguars in London again? The last time the Eagles were the scheduled road team against the Jaguars, the game was played in London. The Eagles haven't played the Jaguars in Jacksonville since 2010.

There are multiple reasons why Eagles-Jaguars is in London again, and why Eagles fans should get used to International Series games in the future.

Why London and not Jacksonville?

The NFL certainly missed an opportunity to have one of the league's most-traveled fan bases head to Florida and face the Jaguars. While there are a lot of Eagles fans in Florida that would have appreciated the trip, a Jacksonville visit isn't like years past.

This has to do with the renovation of EverBank Field into the "Stadium of the Future," which is scheduled for completion in 2028. The Jaguars are playing the 2026 seaosn at EverBank Field, but in a limited capacity.

There will be construction in and around the stadium, so the fan experience won't be great. The Jaguars are actually playing the 2027 season at Camping World Stadium in Orlando while construction is ongoing.

The Eagles haven't played the Jaguars in Jacksonville since 2010 and aren't currently scheduled to play the Jaguars there until 2034. Good bet that matchup will be at the "Stadium of the Future" as Eagles fans will have a world-class experience.

While it's a bummer for Eagles fans their team won't play in Jacksonville this year, it's also understandable given the logistics.

Why London and not Mexico City

The Eagles were eligible to play in London against the Jaguars or Washington Commanders -- and in Mexico City against the San Francisco 49ers. If the Eagles wanted to stay on the Western Hemisphere and play the 49ers, surely they would have taken it.

Eagles-49ers just makes more sense in Santa Clara, playing a rivalry in the 49ers' home stadium instead of in a foreign country. That game is going to draw eyeballs and fans either way, and California is easier to get to than Mexico City.

The Mexico City game -- like London -- is on a Sunday this year. That played a factor in the NFL's decision, since it wasn't a prime time spot on "Monday Night Football" like in years past.

The game is still in primetime, just on "Sunday Night Football." Eagles-49ers would have been intriguing in that spot, but this decision seemed to be made more for the fans than television -- which is surprising for the league.

The Eagles playing an NFC East game in London against the Commanders was highly unlikely, with the fan perspective in mind. Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland is just three hours south of Philadelphia -- a convenient day trip for for Eagles fans.

That's also a big game on the Commanders schedule, and it's unfair for Washington to give up a home game against a division rival to play overseas. Eagles-Comamnders in London just didn't make sense.

Given the logistics in Jacksonville and the renovations to EverBank Field, the Jaguars were an obvious choice. Eagles fans will travel across the pond anyway, especially to see a game in Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Get used to International Series games

This is the second time in three years the Eagles will play an International Series game. In 2024, the Eagles gave up a home game to play in Brazil for the season opener and one of their road games will be in London this year.

While Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie is certainly happy that Philadelphia won't be giving up a home game, he'll be getting used to the fact the Eagles will be playing in international games every other year.

The NFL has a record nine International Series games this season, a number that keeps growing. The league voted to have a maximum number of eight International Series games starting in 2025 , but had seven last year.

They made up for it with nine this year, and there will be at least eight for the next few years.

The ultimate plan is to have up to 16 International Series games per season, something that may come to fruition once the 18-game schedule and revised television deals come into place. That's a few years down the road, but the NFL is pushing for this to happen as soon as possible.

The Eagles are a hot ticket, no matter where they go. The amount of fans in London in 2018 and Sao Paulo in 2024 proved that for the international market, along with the hordes of fans that travel to road games on a yearly basis.

Don't be surprised if the Eagles playing games outside the United States once every two or three years is the norm, not the exception. If the NFL gets 16 International Series games, the Eagles will play one every year.