As soon as Patriots owner Robert Kraft said the NFL wanted to play two games a year in London, it became clear that the Jaguars were trying to get in on the action.
The Jaguars have already expressed interest in playing one of the two, according to Vito Stellino of the Florida Times-Union.
Jaguars owner Shad Khan said when he bought the team he wanted to play a game in London. And Mark Lamping, the Jaguars president of non-football operations, told Stellino that’s still the case, with the team willing to make multiple trips if necessary. The Rams have already committed to playing three games in London, starting this year against the Patriots.
“We’ve expressed an interest to the NFL in hopefully being one of those teams,” Lamping said. “We think it will increase the profile of the franchise, and Jacksonville can use it to market the city. What’s good for Jacksonville is good for the Jaguars.”
Khan said he wanted to take local business leaders with him on what amounts to a fishing trip, as a way to attract foreign business to North Florida.
Of course, any time a team visits another place, there’s an immediate (and perhaps justified) concern among the fanbase that their team is looking to make such a move permanent. But Lamping tried to quell that talk, saying the Jags aren’t a candidate for such a move, and pointing out that season ticket sales are up from last year.