London still not in play for Packers
GREEN BAY – The Green Bay Packers remain one of two NFL teams yet to be scheduled for a regular-season game on foreign soil.
The NFL announced three games for London in the 2018 season. It did not announce plans for a game in Mexico City, but the Packers aren’t expected to go there, either.
The London games will be: Seattle Seahawks vs. Oakland Raiders, Oct. 14, at the new Tottenham stadium under construction; Philadelphia Eagles vs. Jacksonville Jaguars, Oct. 21 or 28, at Wembley Stadium; and Tennessee Titans vs. Los Angeles Chargers, Oct. 21 or 28, at Wembley.
The Eagles, Titans and Seahawks will be playing their first international games. Only the Packers and Carolina Panthers have not played an international game since the NFL began its initiative in 2007. The Packers did play a preseason game against the Kansas City Chiefs in 1998 in Tokyo.
Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy has said the Packers are willing to play internationally, but they will not give up a home game to do so. Green Bay is the smallest market in the NFL and the loss of a home Packers game, estimated at $15 million in economic impact, would have a disproportionate effect on the local economy.
The NFL will release its full schedule in mid-April.
Staff update: New defensive coordinator Mike Pettine’s staff is starting to come together.
After Joe Whitt Jr. agreed to become defensive passing coordinator Wednesday, coach Mike McCarthy added promising young assistant coach Patrick Graham to the staff, according to a source familiar with the hiring.
Graham, 38, coached the defensive line under head coach Ben McAdoo with the New York Giants last year, but it’s likely he’ll handle a linebackers position on the staff. The inside linebackers position is open and that could be the spot Graham takes.
Associate head coach/linebackers Winston Moss still is under contract and there hasn’t been any word of him leaving after he was passed over for the defensive coordinator position.
McCarthy still needs to fill two positions on the defensive line and an opening at cornerbacks.