The NFL announced the five teams that will host international games in 2023 and the Indianapolis Colts are likely to be an opponent in one of the games.
The NFL is continuing its growth as a global game and the latest step of that was the league announcing the host for the five international games that will be played during the 2023 season. The NFL announced that the Buffalo Bills, the Tennessee Titans, and Jacksonville Jaguars will host games in London, while the Kansas City Chiefs and the New England Patriots will host games in Germany. The Indianapolis Colts weren’t named as one of the hosts but a look at Indy’s 2023 schedule of opponents and it’s clear they have a pretty good chance at going overseas this year.
By being in the AFC South, the Colts are always scheduled to play the Jaguars and the Titans on the road. The 2023 season is no different, so those two games give them a chance of traveling to London. Indianapolis is also scheduled to face off against its rival, the New England Patriots, on the road. Since that’s an away game, it’s possible that the league could choose that contest as the game the Patriots will host in Germany.
No opponents have been revealed yet, so it’s unclear if the Colts will be taking a trip overseas, though, there’s a pretty good chance they will. The league will announce all the details as far as the date and opponents later this year.
Colts’ history in international games
If Indianapolis is chosen as an opponent for an international game, it won’t be the first time that the Colts have played outside of the United States. Indy played in London in October of 2016 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Colts lost the game 30-27, continuing the streak of losing on the road to the Jaguars, even if the designated home stadium was nowhere near Jacksonville. If Indy gets another chance, hopefully, it can redeem itself in front of an international audience.
Regardless of where these games take place next season, Indianapolis will be trying to do a lot of redeeming either way. The Jaguars won the AFC South and gave Indy another road loss, the Titans swept the Colts again, and the Patriots gave Indianapolis one of the most embarrassing moments of its season. Indy must be prepared to perform better against these teams next season, no matter where the games are.
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