Strong possibility that the Broncos will play in London this season
The game against the Jaguars has long been a strong possibility, but the Broncos say they have yet to receive official notice from the NFL.
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Russell Wilson’s orange No. 3 jerseys are also a top seller in London.
Although the Broncos weren’t told by the NFL that they will face the Jacksonville Jaguars in London on October 30, multiple sources told 9NEWS there’s a good chance it will happen.
Broncos general manager Joe Ellis said at league owners’ meetings last month in Palm Beach, Fla., that he told the NFL he was very keen on the Denver team playing the Jaguars. on the other side of the pond. A senior team source told 9NEWS on Monday afternoon that the league has not made a commitment to Ellis or anyone from the team to play the Jaguars in London. Sources say the Las Vegas Raiders had also expressed an interest in playing the Jaguars in London. Fox 31 reported Monday that the Broncos’ trip to London in late October was a done deal.
Sources told 9NEWS it’s possible the Broncos would play in Carolina the week before, stay in Carolina for an extra day or two, and then fly to London. The Broncos would then have their week off after their long trip to London. Again, team officials have not confirmed this part of their schedule.
The Broncos last played in London in the 2010 season with disastrous results. First, they lost to the San Francisco 49ers and quarterback Troy Smith, 24-16 on Halloween. More seriously, the NFL has discovered that a Broncos videographer, Steve Scarnecchia, broke league rules by filming 6 minutes of 49ers practice the day before the game at Wembley Stadium.
Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels said he didn’t view the tape when Scarnecchia showed it to him in his London hotel room, but McDaniels was fined $50,000 for not reporting the illicit band. The team was also fined $50,000 and Scarnecchia was fired. McDaniels was fired five weeks later as the Broncos fell to a 3-9 record. After returning to the New England Patriots as offensive coordinator, McDaniels was hired as Raiders head coach in January.
The Broncos were going to return to London in early November 2020 to face the Atlanta Falcons, but the overseas trip was canceled due to the pandemic. The NFL has gone two years without scheduling an international game, but it has reopened overseas travel this season. Besides London, the NFL is also expected to play games in Germany and Mexico City this season. The NFL will announce its full schedule with dates and times on May 12.
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