It appears that the NFL has found a team to replace the Rams in international play. As was previously suspected, the Jacksonville Jaguars will be traveling to London, and possibly elsewhere, as the NFL's flag bearer for spreading the game abroad.
Sam Kouvaris of WJXT 4 in Jacksonville tweeted late this morning that an announcement is coming tomorrow from commissioner Roger Goodell and Jaguars owner Shahid Khan.
Jaguars official announcement about International games will come tomorrow afternoon with Goodell/Khan.
@wjxt4#jaguars— Sam Kouvaris (@samkouvaris) August 20, 2012
The announcement will apparently encompass a four year series of games in which the Jaguars will travel overseas, presumably but not necessarily exclusively to London. The Jaguars will likely be the host team in the games held overseas, although no official announcement has been made confirming that.
The announcement should bode well for both the Jaguars and the city of Jacksonville as a push is made by the city and ownership to secure the Jaguars in Jacksonville for the long haul. The home game played overseas lessens the burden on the team to sell tickets in a small market, and the added exposure helps build the Jaguars' brand. Shahid Khan has also expressed his desire to use games abroad as a way to promote the city.
This is one of the few cases where there really is no loser, yet there are winners everywhere.