Are the Vikings set to become the next Minnesota team to make it big in Brazil?
The NFL announced Wednesday the addition of SĂŁo Paolo, Brazil as a host city in their growing International Series. With an expanding amount of international games comes the need for more teams to play those games. The Jaguars can’t just play all their games abroad, they do have some fans in Florida.
So why do the Minnesota Vikings make sense as a potential participant in Brazil, despite playing in England just last season?
Minnesota is set to have nine home games in 2024. According a rule instituted when the schedule expanded to 17 games, every team must give up a home game once every eight years. The NFL approved a change Wednesday that lowers that from eight years to every four years. The Vikings last were considered the host, giving up a home game, back in 2013 against the Steelers in England.
So far the teams to give up home games since the rule was put in place are the Jacksonville Jaguars, New Orleans Saints, Green Bay Packers, Buffalo Bills, Tennessee Titans, Arizona Cardinals, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Kansas City Chiefs and New England Patriots. The clock is ticking on the Vikings’ turn to play host.
Further adding to our theory is Justin Jefferson’s trip to Brazil this past summer to promote flag football. Jefferson is also good friends with one of Brazil’s most popular soccer stars, Vinicius Jr. What better way to entice the locals than by involving one of their country’s own?
JJ 🫶🏿 https://t.co/y4MhpzEoZ8
— Vini Jr. (@vinijr) December 8, 2023
In 2022 the NFL launched the Global Markets Program, an initiative designed to expand the league’s growth overseas by assigning teams the marketing rights in certain countries. The Vikings were given marketing rights in Canada and the United Kingdom. Only the Miami Dolphins were designated marketing rights to Brazil. It’s a bit of a long shot at this point but could the Vikings could play host to the Dolphins in 2024 in Brazil?
Minnesota’s 2024 home schedule includes their division rivals, the Cardinals, 49ers, Texans, Colts and games against teams in corresponding divisional place in the NFC South and AFC East. Currently those last two teams are the Falcons and the Bills. Minnesota is just two games back of the Lions. The Vikings and Lions play each other twice over the final four games of the season, so Minnesota still has a chance of finishing first in the North.
Buffalo is in nearly an identical situation as the Vikings. They sit two games back of Miami, with the two teams playing each other on the final day of the season. If the Dolphins drop one more game before that season finale, the Bills would finish above the Dolphins after winning the first game between the two teams earlier this season.
If the Dolphins and Vikings both finish in the same position in their respective divisions, then you could almost lock that game in for Brazil. At least in our theory. Admittedly, that one is a long shot but it’s certainly fun to think about.
Also, let’s be honest, @twolvesbrazil locked this up for Minnesota teams before the NFL decided to play in Brazil.
https://twitter.com/twolvesbrazil/status/1734947993168568658
