NEW ORLEANS — If the Philadelphia Eagles decide to play in Australia, they won’t be making the same deal as the last time they played an international game. The Eagles are reportedly set to play in the league’s first regular-season game in Australia, but owner Jeffrey Lurie will not give up a home game this time in order to do so.
Per the Herald Sun, the Eagles and Los Angeles Rams are the two teams scheduled to play at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in October of 2026. The Eagles gave up a home game this season when playing in Brazil, and this would be the case for 2026 based on the report. The Rams are a designated home opponent for the Eagles, so Philadelphia would again be asked to give up a home game.
Lurie won’t be giving up a game at Lincoln Financial Field in 2026, the season the Eagles are scheduled to have nine home games.
“We are a natural team to play there,” Lurie said. “If there’s an opportunity to be an away team there, we will embrace that.”
The Eagles and Rams are the two teams that have international marketing rights for Australia and New Zealand as designated by the NFL, so it would make sense that they were the two teams selected to participate in the first international game in Australia.
There is a connection to the game with the Eagles, as All-Pro left tackle Jordan Mailata is from Australia and was drafted by the Eagles in 2018 as a rugby player. Mailata is a product of the league’s International Player Pathway Program, and never played a down of American football when he was discovered by Eagles offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland while training at IMG Academy in Florida.
The NFL played one exhibition “American Bowl” game in Sydney in 1999, as the Denver Broncos played the San Diego Chargers in Stadium Australia. The Eagles are keen on playing in the first regular season game in Australia, but not at the expense of giving up a home game in the process.
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