Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa expressed his interest in an NFL game to be played in Jerusalem, after his team beat the Washington Commanders in an international game in Madrid, Spain, on Sunday.
During the 2025 season, several NFL teams have played in special overseas games. This season, teams have played in Dublin, Ireland, London, England, and Berlin, Germany.
Tagovailoa, 27 and originally from Hawaii, initially said in the press conference that after playing in Frankfurt and Madrid, he would love to play in his home state. When the question was posed toward international destinations, closer to Europe, he considered a unique option nearby.
“Shoot, it’d be pretty cool to go play in Jerusalem… That’d be sick,” Tagovailoa said.
No regular-season NFL games have been played in the Middle East or Asia, though games have been played across Europe and in South America.
A football is seen with the NFL logo. (credit: Wikimedia Commons)
A football is seen with the NFL logo. (credit: Wikimedia Commons)
According to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, there are no immediate plans to have a regular-season game in Asia, but once the league has a game in Australia, Asia will be considered next.
"I think our next step after Australia would be probably moving into Asia," Goodell said in September on NFL.com. "That's a continent we'd like to be playing in. We are serious about being a global sport. We would like to get to 16 games so everyone is playing one game a year internationally."
'Lacks awareness in all areas of his life': Kenny Stills on Tagovailoa's suggestion on playing in Jerusalem
Tagovailoa’s suggestion of Jerusalem received backlash on social media, including from a former member of his team, wide receiver Kenny Stills. Stills shared the clip of Tagovailoa, writing, “Lacks awareness in all areas of his life.”
Though it is unclear why the Miami quarterback suggested Jerusalem, his religious identity could suggest an interest in exploring the Holy Land. On multiple occasions, Tagovailoa has credited Jesus Christ for previous victories.
He has frequently put his Christian faith on display around game time, notably in press conferences during his time at the University of Alabama.