Ottawa's CFL faithful aren't the only ones talking football this week. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said he could see the league continuing to stage preseason games in Canada, years after the NFL last crossed the border in 2019, according to a report shared by local account @shottawa.tv.
Goodell also had praise for Toronto, calling it a great sports city and pointing to its strong ties with the Buffalo Bills fan base. But when asked about Toronto ever landing its own NFL franchise, Goodell said the biggest obstacle is a stadium, not fan interest, adding that having the right facility in place would be essential to making an expansion team work.
Why Ottawa should care
Ottawa doesn't have an NFL fan base to rival Toronto's, but the city has plenty riding on how Canada's relationship with American football evolves. The Ottawa Redblacks and TD Place have spent years building the CFL's profile here, and any serious push for an NFL presence in Canada, even a Toronto-based one, would reshape the football conversation nationally, including how broadcasters, sponsors and fans in the capital split their attention between the two leagues. Ottawa is also home to plenty of Bills backers who make the drive down the 401 to Highmark Stadium each season, and Goodell's comments touched on that fan base directly.
Canada's NFL ties keep strengthening
According to the post, the Buffalo Bills played "O Canada" before their new Highmark Stadium opener last week, a nod to the team's large Canadian following. Goodell has said he expects the NFL will eventually put teams outside the United States, though he's pointed to Europe as the more realistic near-term landing spot for an international franchise ahead of Canada.
Still, the idea of NFL football taking root north of the border, even just for exhibition games, is enough to get Ottawa football fans talking. Whether it's a preseason game in Toronto or, further down the line, a full franchise, the ripple effects would reach well beyond the GTA.
What Ottawa neighbourhood, city or region do you think could support an NFL presence in Canada one day? For now, the conversation stays hypothetical, but it's one the capital's sports fans will keep an eye on.
Source: @shottawa.tv, Instagram
