The idea of international games makes sense. The NFL wants to expand its viewership into a global audience, and many countries are ripe and ready for a sport as exciting and physical as football. But there are certain challenges that come with the time changes and early game slots that don’t get talked about enough. Cam Heyward described his experience playing in London back in 2013 as the only member of the Steelers still around from when they lost to the Vikings, 34-27, after falling behind by 17 points.
“We left Thursday night, arrived Friday morning. And everybody was asleep during practice, everybody was falling asleep during the stretch. Then we had meetings after, everybody fell asleep there,” Heyward said via [Not Just Football with Cam Heyward](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCwqj8A_8Uw&ab_channel=NotJustFootballwithCamHeyward) on YouTube. “Then during the game everybody was asleep in the first half. It’s rough because you’re going, what, it’ll be five hours ahead? So you’re trying to get sleep on a plane going over there and it’s not ideal.”
The NFL is apparently putting parameters on when teams can travel to their international games. It is trying to maintain some competitive balance by keeping as many things even between the two teams as possible. But the Vikings, whom the Steelers will play Sept. 28 in Dublin, Ireland, are more experienced with this routine, having played in London last season.
Other than Heyward, who last played internationally 12 years ago, the only players on the roster who have played overseas are trade additions or free agents. DK Metcalf played in Germany in 2022, for example.
Fortunately, the Steelers aren’t going to have to deal with the competitive imbalance that the Cleveland Browns do in Week 5. The Vikings are playing back-to-back international games and will therefore already be overseas to acclimate for a full week before the Browns arrive.
According to NFL schedule maker Mike North, the [multi-country road trips](https://steelersdepot.com/2025/05/nfl-exec-vikings-multi-country-road-trip-could-be-sign-of-things-to-come/) might become a future staple in the scheduling process, so all eyes will be on that Week 5 game between the Vikings and Browns. If the Browns look like they are sleepwalking against the Vikings, maybe the NFL will rethink that controversial practice.
NFL players already endure long seasons and put a tremendous strain on their body and minds. Rest is at a premium once the season begins. Messing with their routines by throwing a seven-hour flight and a time change into the mix is brutal, and there is no real way to simulate or prepare for that shock on the body.
Hopefully Mike Tomlin and the few remaining staff members learned a thing or two from their 2013 mistakes.