Commanders to lead NFL’s charge into Middle East, starting with United Arab Emirates

The NFL is headed to the Middle East, potentially for a regular-season game in the near future. The Washington Commanders will lead the charge.

Officials announced at this week’s league meetings that the United Arab Emirates would join Greece as the 20th and 21st countries in the NFL’s Global Markets Program. The Commanders, along with the San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams, became the designated teams for the UAE.

The next step could include a regular-season NFL game in the Middle East, likely in the ultra-wealthy hub of Abu Dhabi in the UAE.

“We don’t know the timing, and it’s really an ’if’ in terms of whether we’ll play a game there,” said Peter O’Reilly, the NFL’s executive vice president of club business, major events and international. “But I will say that’s a market where there’s strong interest in our game, strong interest in growing our game on a year-round basis.”

The Commanders are one of the last NFL franchises to dip their toes into the league’s global marketing initiative. The program divvies up the globe for individual teams in an effort to build fan loyalty and a home-field advantage around the world.

Some of the assignments make sense.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are tied to England after playing in London 12 times in the last 12 seasons. The Pittsburgh Steelers have the rights to Ireland, where former owner Dan Rooney served as the U.S. ambassador from 2009 to 2012.

A 2024 analysis by Global SWF ranked Abu Dhabi as the world’s richest city. The UAE’s capital hosts $1.7 trillion in assets, including the nation’s sovereign wealth fund, the report said.

Commanders owner Josh Harris called the nation an “increasingly influential financial, economic and sports hub.”

“This season, our fan base returned with passion, and we were reminded of the power of sports to galvanize and unite our community,” Harris said in a statement. “Whether in the DMV or around the world, we always strive to create unforgettable experiences and memories for our fans.”

O’Reilly said the league has already conducted “some exploratory trips” to gauge the potential for NFL football in the UAE.

“But obviously an important market and one that has hosted significant events in other sports in recent years, whether that’s NBA or global soccer,” he said, referring to the NBA’s preseason bouts in the region. “There are learnings there, but we really do it as we try to do all these markets in the right, thoughtful cadence way.”

The NFL’s expansion into the Middle East drew criticism from some onlookers who continue to accuse the UAE of sportswashing — investing money into sports leagues to distract from allegations of human rights violations.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has said there would be seven international games in 2025, though he’s looking to secure 16 global games in the future.

Rules changes: Team owners had been set to vote Tuesday on Green Bay’s proposal to ban the play that’s helped the Philadelphia Eagles win one Super Bowl and reach another, but the proposal was tabled until May.

Team owners approved modifying the kickoff rule, expanding replay assist and revising overtime rules, along with other changes.

The decision to postpone the tush push vote means the debate will continue as the league seeks more information about the safety of the play. Proponents of the play and those who oppose it presented strong arguments while the league’s medical experts expressed safety concerns.

As for changes that did pass, regular-season overtime rules now will match those in the playoffs and both teams will have a chance to get a possession even if the offense scores a touchdown on the opening drive. The proposal was amended to make overtime 10 minutes, not 15 minutes.

Owners also approved a proposal from the NFL Competition Committee to allow replay assist to consult on-field officials to overrule objective calls such as facemask penalties, whether there was forcible contact to the head or neck area, horse-collar tackles or tripping if there was “clear and obvious” evidence that a foul didn’t occur. Replay also would be able to overturn a roughing-the-kicker or running-into-the-kicker penalty if the video showed the defender made contact with the ball.

Replay assist could wipe out a foul only if it was incorrectly called, but it will not be used to throw a flag if a penalty wasn’t called.