Aaron Rodgers says past NFL bargaining talks floated a 16-game international week
After the Steelers beat the Saints in Paris, Aaron Rodgers said earlier collective bargaining talks included an international week of 16 games, and criticised NFL owners as "tight" on money.
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The story, neutrally told
Mixed · 2After the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the New Orleans Saints in Paris on Sunday 25 October 2026, quarterback Aaron Rodgers described past collective bargaining talks with the NFL. Fox NewsR “after the Pittsburgh Steelers won on Sunday in the league's first-ever game in France” Read at Fox News ↗ NewsweekN “Following the Steelers' Week 7 victory over the New Orleans Saints in Paris” Read at Newsweek ↗ Mixed · 2Rodgers said the idea was an international week with games in 16 different places, added as an extra bye week, so that teams would play 16 regular-season games with two byes, one of them the international week. Fox NewsR “You have two bye weeks. One of those weeks would have been an international week.” Read at Fox News ↗ NewsweekN “you had games in 16 different places and you just added an extra bye week” Read at Newsweek ↗ Right · 1Fox News quotes Rodgers placing the first talk of more international games in the 2011 CBA negotiations and the international-week proposal in the second CBA; Fox's headline and lede say the idea failed over revenue concerns. Fox NewsR “I remember the 2011 CBA (collective bargaining agreement), there was talk about more games”“says idea failed because of revenue concerns” Read at Fox News ↗
Centre · 1Rodgers said the week would have been "phenomenal for the game" and added that the owners instead pushed for 17 games for extra revenue and, in his words, because they care so much about player safety. NewsweekN “Now, the owners wanted to push for 17 games for the extra revenue and because they care so much about player safety” Read at Newsweek ↗ Right · 1He listed possible host locations including Canada, Mexico, Brazil, another South American country, Ireland, France, Spain, Germany, England and Dubai. Fox NewsR “you could do obviously in Canada, you could do in Mexico. There's been games in Brazil.”“There's, uh, you know, Dubai” Read at Fox News ↗ Mixed · 2Rodgers also said he wished the league would mandate that every team arrive on Sunday or Monday to experience the local culture and do community events, and that owners would have to "open up their pocketbooks"; he said they won't because they're "a little tight". NewsweekN “I think they should mandate every team coming over Sunday or Monday to really enjoy the culture” Read at Newsweek ↗ Fox NewsR “But they won't because they're a little tight.” Read at Fox News ↗
Right · 1Fox News reported that the NFL was asked last week about travel mandates and was against imposing them on individual teams. Fox NewsR “The NFL was asked about that possibility last week and was against the idea of imposing travel mandates on individual teams.” Read at Fox News ↗ Mixed · 2Rodgers is in his 22nd and final year in the league; the Steelers are 5-2 and face the Cleveland Browns in Week 8. Fox NewsR “in his 22nd and final year in the league” Read at Fox News ↗ NewsweekN “Rodgers and the Steelers are 5-2 to begin the 2026 NFL season.” Read at Newsweek ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left0 outlets
No left outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Centre1 outlet
- Framing
- Newsweek presents a short item on Rodgers 'calling out' owners, built around his quotes.
- Emphasis
- The direct jab at owners and the desire for a full international week; Steelers' record and next opponent.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not mention the 2011 CBA, the NFL's stance on travel mandates, or the revenue explanation for why the idea failed.
- Charged language
- “Calls Out NFL Owners With Direct Jab”
- For example
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“Rodgers took a direct jab at NFL owners and their focus on the bottom line.” — Newsweek
Right1 outlet
- Framing
- Fox News (OutKick) commentary treats Rodgers' remarks as a revelation, with wry asides about the idea and 'money-grubbing owners'.
- Emphasis
- Details of the bargaining history, locations, the NFL's refusal of travel mandates, and Rodgers' dig at owners; questions whether US fans would accept the idea.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not give the Steelers' record or next opponent.
- Charged language
- “money-grubbing owners”“passive-aggressive dig”“too cheap”
What every side reports
- Rodgers spoke after the Steelers' win over the Saints in Paris.
- He said past talks included an international week of 16 games with an extra bye week.
- He said owners pushed for 17 games for revenue and called them 'a little tight' on money.
Aaron Rodgers person
Says an international week would have been good for the game and blames owners' focus on revenue for it not happening; wants a league travel mandate.
“I think it would've been phenomenal for the game.” — Newsweek
“I wish there was a mandate, though, from the league” — Fox News
Left0 articles
No coverage yet.
Centre1 article
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Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers Calls Out NFL Owners With Direct Jab
Neutral Brief news item quoting Rodgers' remarks via ESPN, framed as a jab at owners.
Right1 article
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Mixed Opinionated, playful column that relays Rodgers' remarks in detail while mocking the idea and the owners.
- 25 Oct 20:22 First Fox NewsR Aaron Rodgers pulls back curtain on bargaining talks with NFL envisioning one week of 16 international games
- 26 Oct 18:48 +22h 27m NewsweekN Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers Calls Out NFL Owners With Direct Jab
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.
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