Back in March, reports emerged the NFL was hopeful it could resume international series games at venues such as Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London and Estadio Azteca in Mexico City this coming fall after the league canceled such contests last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, Daniel Kaplan of The Athletic reported Tuesday that no NFL games will be held in Mexico City later this year due to coronavirus outbreaks, rates and active cases throughout that country. Meanwhile, the Atlanta Falcons and Jacksonville Jaguars will serve as "home" clubs for games that will occur at the Tottenham stadium and be officially unveiled during Wednesday's full schedule release.
The Falcons and Jaguars were reportedly among four teams set to be home teams for international games in 2020, along with the Arizona Cardinals and Miami Dolphins. Kaplan added that the Dolphins could be selected to face the Jaguars in London.
Currently, the United Kingdom intends to permit up to 21,000 supporters to attend the FA Cup final between Chelsea and Leicester City this Saturday. Fans are set to be welcomed to other events later this month and into the summer.
It's unclear what health and safety protocols NFL teams traveling to and from London would have to follow, and the UK deciding at some point that all travelers from the United States must either be vaccinated or observe quarantines to enter the country could cause the NFL to relocate the two games since neither the league nor NFL Players Association is mandating players receive vaccine shots to participate in the season.
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