The Detroit Lions are heading to Germany, and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says fans can thank Amon-Ra St. Brown. On a recent podcast, Goodell credited the wide receiver's massive popularity in Germany as the key reason for the Lions hosting a 2026 game in Munich.

Goodell said, "A lot of that success in Germany is because of you and your family... Because of your popularity and your support in Germany, the Lions have a tremendous following in Germany. That is something we built off on... It was like a marriage made in heaven."

St. Brown has German roots through his mother, who ensured her son spent his childhood summers in Germany, including his early days training in elite soccer academies. To this day, St. Brown supports training camps in the country and visits regularly.

That's why when news of the Munich game broke, his mother, Miriam, sent a message of support.

"Yes, but you also have quite a few [fans] in Germany. And um, they are going to be made very happy this year because you — or you with your Lions — are playing in Munich!"

And St. Brown felt that excitement as he talked about it. "Finally, the time has come. We have a game at home in Munich—a dream come true. Lions fans, we are here, let's go."

At the same time, fans aren't too happy about having to sacrifice a home game to play internationally.

That's Why Roger Goodell Made It a Point to Explain the Decision

While losing a home game is a downside for local fans, the NFL's 32 teams have collectively agreed to the international schedule rotation.

"As you know, we're playing nine games this year, so we need a lot of teams to play. We're trying to get to the point of playing 16. We have a commitment on behalf of every club that voted for this. All 32 did. We would rotate on some basis that you would give up a home game..."

Now the question is, after years of waiting, will St. Brown’s dream homecoming become a moment to remember forever?

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Written by

Shreya Mishra

Edited by

Siddharth Shirwadkar