Raiders Rumors: Preseason Game vs. Packers Likely to Be Played in Winnipeg

The Green Bay Packers and Oakland Raiders could be going international for their preseason matchup.

According to Rich Ryman of the Green Bay Post-Gazette, the third preseason game for each team will likely be played in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

If the plan doesn't work out, the two teams could still play the game at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, per Ryman.

This arrangement would leave the Raiders with only one home preseason game in 2019, although this likely works out well based on the uncertainty surrounding the stadium.

The team is set to leave for Las Vegas in 2020 and needed a last-minute agreement to remain at the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum for the 2019 season after the lease ran out.

The squad will lose one regular-season home game for a matchup against the Chicago Bears in England, which creates a near two-month gap between home games between Week 2 and Week 9. Adding a Canadian preseason game takes away another home game, even though it is only an exhibition.

Meanwhile, the matchup is another opportunity to spread the NFL to other areas around the world. Although Canada has hosted regular-season games in the past, they were mostly the Buffalo Bills playing in nearby Toronto.

According to Jeff Hamilton of the Winnipeg Free Press, NFL officials visited Investors Group Field in Winnipeg in April to explore the possibility of hosting a preseason game. It now seems as though the plan is coming to fruition.