NFL Sending Joe Burrow and the Bengals to Spain Next Season

Cincinnati Bengals star quarterback Joe Burrow popped up at the Kentucky Derby, the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix, and the Met Gala within one weekend, so he won’t have any trouble readjusting to the jet-setting of the NFL season.

He might have a little jet lag in Week 9, though.

The NFL confirmed Tuesday that the Bengals and Atlanta Falcons will play in Madrid, Spain, on Sunday, Nov. 8, at 9:30 a.m. EST.

Hopefully, an oft-injured Burrow will be healthy in Week 9. He missed over two months with Grade 3 turf toe last season. There’s no telling who will be under center for the Falcons by Week 9, as Michael Penix Jr. is recovering from ACL reconstruction surgery, and Atlanta signed ex-Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa when free agency opened in March.

The NFL will unleash its full schedule release on Thursday at 8 p.m. EST, but some international and primetime matchups have already leaked this week.

Earlier Tuesday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the first “Monday Night Football” game of the 2026 season will be between the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs on Sept. 14. The league later announced that the game will be at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.

Here’s what else we know, as of this writing:

• The Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers will play the NFL’s first-ever regular-season game in Melbourne, Australia, on Thursday, Sept. 10
• The Buffalo Bills will open their brand-new Highmark Stadium against the Detroit Lions on “Thursday Night Football” in Week 2
• The Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants will be the first “Sunday Night Football” matchup on Sept. 13
• The Cowboys and the Baltimore Ravens will travel to Rio in Week 3
• The Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles will play on Thanksgiving.

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This story was originally published May 12, 2026 at 7:53 PM.