But it’s the mural’s other figure — a massive, hairy beast with the head and claws of a bear and the brawny arms and legs of a dual-threat quarterback — is the centerpiece, not just of the mural but of the NFL’s entire international effort. If you want a look at the future of the NFL outside the United States, don’t look on the field … look on the streets here in Berlin, where there's shield branding and merch-laden shops and kids running go routes in front of the Brandenburg Gate, a bring-the-house blitz of activation to make this game not just a game, but a happening. Berlin itself hosted a number of preseason games in the early 1990s in the immediate aftermath of the fall of the Berlin Wall; the league has enough history in the city that, for a 1990 Rams-Chiefs preseason game, the city was still known as “West Berlin.” Germany as a whole has hosted five games since the 2022 season, two in Frankfurt and two in Munich in addition to Sunday’s game.
Author: Jay Busbee
Published at: 2025-11-07 14:19:04
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