Will NFL return to Dublin? Rodgers ‘100%’ thinks so

The NFL circus had already packed its tent and left the city on Sunday, and speculations soon surfaced about whether the sporting event would make a comeback.

In their first regular-season game played in Ireland, the Pittsburgh Steelers rallied to defeat a fourth-quarter comeback attempt by the Minnesota Vikings, 24-21.

No Vikings fan would have forgotten in a hurry if Kevin O’Connell’s men had come from a 24-6 deficit with 11 minutes and 21 seconds left.

But the 74, 512 people in attendance already felt a moment to remember before they were turned over on downs to end the game.

The Steelers organization saw the completion of a long-awaited dream.

What it all would have meant for the side’s late owner, Dan M. Rooney, whose ancestors were from County Down, was a constant theme throughout the week when they defeated the Chicago Bears in a pre-season game.

It’s still to be seen whether Sunday’s game marked the start of a regular rotation in the International Series rotation or the fitting tribute to one of the NFL’s founding families.

Following on from Frankfurt, Munich, and London, Dublin became the fourth city in Europe to hold a similar event. Next month, Madrid and Berlin will also be on the list.

Brazil and Mexico have both hosted games, and Australia will host one next year. Asia might follow it up.

What was once America’s game is now undoubtedly global in scope, but with such host competition, can the Emerald Isle anticipate a quick return?

One well-known supporter is undoubtedly in their area.

When asked if Dublin deserved more games in the future, Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers responded, “100%,” when asked by BBC Sport NI.

“The entire experience was fantastic. Thank you to everyone who contributed to this happening and the nation. I would have said the same thing regardless of whether it had happened.

Since 2007 when international games have been on the NFL calendar, it is only natural to assume that some players now find them to be just another game.

However, former Irish national defensive tackle Cameron Heyward showed that Croke Park’s significance in Irish culture was well known, blaming the Rooney family for making the GAA’s headquarters “sacred ground” for many.

Following that, acknowledging that Hill 16 had been converted into a seated area for the occasion only strengthened his sense of both time and place.

The NFL discussed creating a “mini-Super Bowl” in Dublin when it was announced in May that the Vikings would face the Steelers, a phrase that was repeated throughout the city throughout the week.

Dublin is an inch and a half of a European capital, but it lacks such scale where such events are lost in the sprawl. NFL jerseys were present throughout the game’s opening walk, which was accompanied by a stadium covered in black and gold that was decked out in the city center.

It felt like a Steelers home game in practice, too. As is customary in Pennsylvania, Styx’s Renegade blared and the renowned “Terrible Towels” twirled. Even a hotel across the stadium provided Primanti Bros’ sandwiches.

There was a large audience, and it was obvious that they were interested in soaking up every moment.

According to Rodgers, “In most NFL stadiums, the crowd starts to trickle in after two hours when the stadium opens.”

Somebody left the locker room at around 11:00 and says, “Man, there’s a lot of people out there already.”

The occasion had some teething issues. When quarterback Carson Wentz was unable to see a play clock and All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson lost his balance as he appeared to be heading for the end zone, the Vikings appeared to have received a significant delay-of-game penalty.

Not as enthusiastic about the event as local gridiron fans were.

The GAA’s sponsorship of sports outside of Croke Park has frequently been a contentious issue.

In recent years, that stance has cooled, but in the weeks leading up to Sunday, such traditions as the money needed from the government to secure the game and the government’s objections to foreign policy were mentioned in media articles as justifications for some who would rather the NFL had not seen the red carpet roll out.

When or if the NFL returns to Dublin, it will have to weigh both the good and bad.

Henry Hodgson, the general manager of NFL UK, stated to BBC Sport NI: “We wanted to see how this went, see how this week went, see how the game went, and then we’re going to evaluate.”

We’ll work with our partners in Irish government and Dublin City Council to assess how things turned out, and we’ll watch and see what develops in the future.

The only drawback, at least for Rodgers, was not having more time in the country.

He said, “No complaints about the three days we spent.” Only desire exists for more time spent with you outstanding Irish people. That is it.