Aaron Rodgers advocated for the NFL to schedule a full week of international games and also took multiple swipes at team owners Sunday, hinting that they pay lip service to player safety while quipping that "maybe they're a little tight on money."
Rodgers commented on the NFL's global outreach after the Pittsburgh Steelers played the New Orleans Saints in Paris -- the league's first regular-season game in France.
The NFL is playing a record nine international games across seven countries this season, but Rodgers alluded to an even grander plan that he said was discussed between the league and the NFL Players Association during previous rounds of labor talks.
"There was talk about doing a week -- an international week -- where you had games in 16 different places and you just added an extra bye week," the Steelers star quarterback said. "So you play 16 regular-season [weeks], you have two bye weeks -- one of those weeks would've been an international week.
"I think it would've been phenomenal for the game. Now, the owners wanted to push for 17 games for the extra revenue and because they care so much about player safety, but it would've been nice."
Rodgers listed several locations where the league already has or will host international games -- including Mexico, Brazil, Ireland, England, Spain and Germany -- and also mentioned adding another South American country or a destination such as Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
"I think there's great opportunities for expansion and those things," he said. "It'd be awesome to see them have an international week, because I think it's great for the game and the expansion of the game."
The four-time NFL MVP then pivoted back to ownership, taking a few swipes at what he intimated were limited travel budgets for teams visiting international cities.
"I wish there was a mandate, though, from the league," Rodgers said. "They would have to open up their pocketbooks, too, which -- you know, maybe they're a little tight on money and stuff. I think they should mandate every team coming over Sunday or Monday to really enjoy the culture of the place you're going. You can do events in those cities and outreach stuff and community work, but they won't because they're a little tight."
Rodgers' comments came after a weekend of heightened focus on the league's presence in Paris, where countrywide protests over school funding and soaring living costs led to rioting and unrest in the city. Fans strolling Paris streets saw boarded-up storefronts and a heavy police presence ahead of more protests held Saturday, and the NFL canceled multiple events ahead of the Saints-Steelers game.
Steelers coach Mike McCarthy said players and their families and friends "really enjoyed" Friday -- when the team arrived -- but stayed close to the hotel Saturday when more protests took place.