NFL puts Jaguars at competitive disadvantage with two 2026 London games

The Jacksonville Jaguars have a lot to look forward to in 2026 after winning 13 games and the AFC South division. Alas, the NFL is "rewarding" their current trajectory by increasing their exposure overseas.

Jacksonville is the de facto NFL home team in London, England. Expanding the NFL's reach to an International Series is a neat initiative as a concept. However, the Jags are carrying the brunt of the burden and always have.

We'll see what the new schedule looks like and when this lengthy trip occurs, but rest assured, the Jaguars will be in London for two consecutive games this coming season.

...And that's a shame. Because provided the Jags make a few modest improvements before Week 1, the odyssey to London could ultimately cost them the Lombardi Trophy.

London is proper mint for Jaguars, but back-to-back London games is overkill

Below is the big announcement, courtesy of the ecstatic United Kingdom and Ireland-affiliated Jags X/Twitter admin. Per the link, one game is at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and one is at Wembley Stadium.

To reiterate, playing in London as a concept is awesome. Broadening the NFL's horizons abroad is really cool. Just like, you know, don't be afraid to send some other teams over!

Complaining about the Jaguars having to play two of their 17 games in London and expecting some sort of change is a fool's errand. Once the NFL makes a business decision, the metaphorical Tube train has departed the metaphorical London Underground station. There's no turning back.

Just like an 18th regular-season game is an inevitability, Jacksonville's status as the primary torchbearer for the NFL International Series is locked in.

...But come on. What is this? [A CENTER FOR ANTS!?]

Compounding the issue is the fact that the Jags' home EverBank Stadium is undergoing renovations, which limits their max capacity. This London schedule shakeup also means Jacksonville will only have six home games in 2026.

Why the NFL couldn't just kick the can down the road, and increase the Jags' London games in future years when they actually have a new stadium, is beyond my comprehension.

More context here, courtesy of Jacksonville.com's Demetrius Harvey:

Although the International Series is a plus in the grander scheme from a financial standpoint — since the Jaguars are, after all, one of the NFL's smaller-market franchises, — the future upside comes at the cost of the current players and team.

Roger Goodell can't sit there with a straight face and deny that the Jaguars are at a severe competitive disadvantage by having to play twice in London, even though it's consecutive weeks.

Beat-up football players traveling that far, dealing with jet lag, then having to adjust once they come back to the U.S., has a ripple effect on the brutal grind of a long NFL season that can't be accounted for. There's a zero point zero percent chance that it's not a net negative.

Confusing double negative usage aside, it is indeed a negative to the Jaguars' Super Bowl ambitions to be the NFL's default ambassador across the Atlantic Ocean. I guarantee you the players and coaching staff aren't exactly thrilled by this news.