London has become the Jaguars’ home away from home. No NFL franchise has frequented the English scene as much as Jacksonville has.
Fans might be doing a double take, seeing the Jaguars on the schedule to play in London again this week. But it’s no mistake. Trevor Lawrence and Co. are set to play in London for the second week in a row.
The Jaguars were successful in their first stop across the pond, defeating the Falcons 23-7 at Wembley Stadium in Week 4. This Sunday, the team makes a trek across town to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where the Jaguars face off against the Bills.
MORE: Everything to know about Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
So what’s with the back-to-back London games for the Jaguars? The Sporting News explains why Jacksonville is playing back-to-back weeks in the UK.
Why are the Jaguars playing in London twice?
No NFL team has played over in London as often as the Jaguars have. This second matchup in 2023 marks the 11th time that Jacksonville will participate in a game in the UK.
Jacksonville’s owner, Shad Khan, has ties to the country. He is the owner of London-based Fulham F.C., a soccer club in the Premier League, England’s top level of professional soccer.
The Jaguars currently are in the midst of a three-year contract to play each year in London. The agreement’s final year will be 2024, with one more game guaranteed to be hosted by the Jaguars at Wembley, however, it is expected that a new deal will be made for after next campaign.
Khan has had a number of agreements with the English Football Association, dating back to 2012 when the NFL initially explored the idea of international games. Since then, the Jaguars have seen their English fan base grow, making them an ideal candidate to play twice in a single season.
“To see the Jacksonville Jaguars extend their stay in the UK and play two regular season games here this year is indicative of the Jags’ commitment to continuing to grow their fanbase here long-term,” NFL UK general manager Henry Hodgson said this offseason.
NFL international games 2023
The Jaguars and Bills will mark the second game of the NFL’s 2023 international schedule. Jacksonville “hosted” the Falcons at Wembley Stadium last week, and now it will move over to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the “away” game against Buffalo.
This week’s contest is the first of two games set to take place at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with the Ravens vs. Titans Week 6 contest also being played at Spurs’ home field.
The final two international games, which won’t be until November, will be played in Frankfurt Stadium in Germany.
Below is the schedule for the international games this season:
- Falcons vs. Jaguars in London, Week 4 (Oct. 1)
- Bills vs. Jaguars in London, Week 5 (Oct. 8)
- Ravens vs. Titans in London, Week 6 (Oct. 15)
- Dolphins vs. Chiefs in Frankfurt, Week 9 (Nov. 5)
- Colts vs. Patriots in Frankfurt, Week 10 (Nov. 12)
Jacksonville Jaguars schedule 2023
| Week | Date | Opponent | Kickoff time | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sept. 10 | at Colts (W, 31-21) | FINAL | Fox |
| 2 | Sept. 17 | vs. Chiefs (L, 17-9) | FINAL | CBS |
| 3 | Sept. 24 | vs. Texans, (L, 37-17) | FINAL | Fox |
| 4 | Oct. 1 | vs. Falcons (in London) (W, 23-7) | FINAL | ESPN+ |
| 5 | Oct. 8 | at Bills (in London) | 9:30 a.m. ET | NFL Network |
| 6 | Oct. 15 | vs. Colts | 1 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 7 | Oct. 19 | at Saints | 8:15 p.m. ET | Amazon Prime Video |
| 8 | Oct. 29 | at Steelers | 1 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 9 | Nov. 5 | BYE | ||
| 10 | Nov. 12 | vs. 49ers | 1 p.m. ET | Fox |
| 11 | Nov. 19 | vs. Titans | 1 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 12 | Nov. 26 | at Texans | 1 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 13 | Dec. 4 | vs. Bengals | 8:15 p.m. ET | ESPN |
| 14 | Dec. 10 | at Browns | 1 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 15 | Dec. 17 | vs. Ravens | 8:20 p.m. ET | NBC |
| 16 | Dec. 24 | at Buccaneers | 4:05 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 17 | Dec. 31 | vs. Panthers | 1 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 17 | Jan. 7* | at Titans | TBD | TBD |