Oct 19, 2025; London, United Kingdom; Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Davante Adams (17) makes a catch against Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) during the second half of an NFL International Series game at Wembley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Rams' Next Frontier is Clear

Originally posted on Los Angeles Rams on SI
By Brock Vierra | Last updated Apr 8, 2026 8:00 AM ET

WOODLAND HILLS, Ca. The Los Angeles Rams are set to kick off their 2026 season in Melbourne, Australia as their ambitions in the Pacific take new heights.

The decision to invest in Australia is a brilliant one, and with one continent open, the Rams should look towards another. The world loves football; they want football, and it's time for the league to provide. Here's why the Rams should be the first NFL team to play a game on the continent, returning American football to Japan.

The Rams and Japan

When Barry Sanders won his Heisman with Oklahoma State, he did so in Tokyo, Japan as his Oklahoma State Cowboys took on the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Just understand if Big 8 football, a conference that is now the Big 12, could do this in 1988 and host 52,000 people, the NFL can do it in the 2020s.

International football is here, and it's staying. This is like trying to argue whether NIL should exist. The fight is over grandpa, it's time to get your money up. NFL teams should embrace International play because it's the only way to control it. There's a reason why certain teams get sweetheart schedules and some are the San Francisco 49ers. It's about playing ball with the league.

Malcolm Emmons-Imagn Images

So it makes sense to play games in Japan. It's a massive market that has been Americanized for over 80 years, it's a gateway into South Korea and China, plus the Rams have marketing rights in those countries.

For the players, they will cross the International Date Line, so it will be a bit different compared to European adventures, but the benefit is no prolonged East Coast trip. Direct flights. Plus, they would be the first NFL faces the continent would see. Personal marketing would be off the wall.

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The NFL would likely have to make the Rams play in the season opener to make things work, meaning they can get it out of the way in the same approach that they are this season. Plus, the NFL loves juicy promotional stuff like opening a season in a foreign place.

Plus, Japan genuinely loves football. They have a professional league, the X-League, that is 55 years old. It's not the biggest league, but it's not amateur by any means.

Control the narrative. Embrace change. Take advantage of common frustration. If you have to play overseas, might as well cash in.

This article first appeared on Los Angeles Rams on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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