The last time the NFL played a game in Munich, Tom Brady — in the final year of his career, a shell of the version that won seven Super Bowls, but his international aura still intact — was the center of attention, 800,000 fans plunged into the ticket queue to secure one of the 69,811 seats and seemingly everyone in attendance belted out the lyrics to “Take Me Home, Country Roads” in the final minutes of the fourth quarter.
During a Nov. 13, 2022, evening that doubled as the league’s regular-season introduction to Germany, the NFL seemingly aced its test. The buzz was palpable in the streets and certainly in the stadium. The star power delivered with Brady tossing two touchdowns for just the second time that season and holding off a comeback from the Seahawks’ Geno Smith — who would earn an invite to the first Pro Bowl of his career later that year.
After two games in Frankfurt last season, the NFL returns to Munich and that same scene Sunday. Daniel Jones, Bryce Young, the 2-7 Giants and the 2-7 Panthers will be waiting for them.
If anything, the disparity in the matchup quality — and the degree of star power — will provide a litmus test of sorts as the NFL continues to expand its international footprint beyond its comfort zone of London.
