CLEVELAND, Ohio — While most NFL teams view international games as a logistical challenge to be endured, the Jacksonville Jaguars have quietly transformed their annual London trip into a unique team-building opportunity that could pay dividends on the field.
With seven London games under his belt, quarterback Trevor Lawrence offered fascinating insights into how these extended road trips forge stronger bonds between players in ways that standard NFL travel simply can’t match.
“I think it’s a good opportunity for our team to just come closer together. We spend a lot of time together,” Lawrence said. “We’re all kind of separated from home and our families and all that stuff for a couple days, so we kind of have to hang around each other. And not that we don’t like to do that, but it’s just more time. And I think that that part of it is always fun.”
This forced togetherness creates an environment more akin to training camp than a typical road game. Players eat together, explore a foreign city together, and have considerably more downtime together than during the structured routine of a normal NFL week.
These shared experiences away from football facilitate connections between teammates who might not otherwise spend significant time together.
For Jacksonville specifically, the familiarity with London has evolved from an initial shock to a comfortable routine. What was once a disorienting journey has become almost second nature for the organization.
“At first when I came here in 2021. It’s kind of crazy, coming out here for the first time. You don’t know what to expect and you’re coming out for one game,” Lawrence said. “I think we were here for like two and a half days and it’s such a long trip...But once you do it and then you come back, and it starts to feel like a you know, I don’t want to say like a second home but for us like we’re so used to coming here.”
This familiarity gives the Jaguars a subtle competitive advantage. While their opponents might be dealing with the discomfort and uncertainty of international travel protocols, Jacksonville’s players and staff have developed rhythms and routines that minimize disruption.
“We’ve kind of gotten used to the whole travel deal and stuff like that. So it’s not as big of a deal for us now,” Lawrence said.
Beyond the logistics, there’s also a psychological component to these London trips. Breaking from routine can sometimes jar players out of mental ruts and create space for new perspectives.
The change of scenery, while initially challenging, can refresh a team mentally and emotionally, especially during the grinding middle portion of an NFL season.
For Lawrence personally, London holds special significance as the site of his first NFL victory—a memory that still motivates him years later.
“It makes the fight back a lot more fun when you win. So, that’s obviously the goal for this Sunday,” Lawrence said.
That shared experience—earning a victory after an 0-5 start—created a collective memory that strengthened team bonds. These are the kinds of formative experiences that international games can provide, creating narrative touchpoints around which team identity can form.
As the NFL continues its international expansion, most teams will approach these games as obstacles to overcome. But Jacksonville’s approach offers a different perspective—embracing the unique team-building opportunities that come from extended time together in an unfamiliar setting.
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