The NFL has made concerted efforts in recent years to push into the global market and raise the popularity of American football. This past October, reporters asked Minnesota Vikings superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson about NFL expansion before his team played an International Series game in London, and his response got Canadian fans excited: “I can definitely see [the NFL] expanding to Canada… Toronto wouldn’t be a bad place to start.”
Toronto is one of six global cities to have hosted an NFL game, most recently when the league introduced the “Bills Toronto Series,” where the Buffalo Bills would play games at Rogers Centre. With over 2.5 million residents, Toronto is currently the largest market in both the US and Canada without an NFL franchise, leading to growing calls for expansion. The idea is sound — Toronto hosts successful NBA, NHL, and MLB teams, including the recent 2019 NBA championship team, the Toronto Raptors. The city’s established sports culture, combined with the fact that over 19 million Canadians tuned in to watch Super Bowl LVIII last year, shows a clear path for the NFL to flourish in Toronto.
However, I believe that Toronto isn’t ready to support an NFL team. The league needs to consider infrastructure logistics, roster construction, and whether the NFL is ready to introduce a foreign team.
Where to play?
For an NFL franchise to come to Toronto, an adequate stadium is needed. Toronto’s current largest entertainment venue is the Rogers Centre, which can seat approximately 40,000 people. However, the smallest NFL stadium, the Chicago Bears’ Soldier Field, has a capacity of 61,500.
I think the NFL would want a new stadium built, like Sofi Stadium in Los Angeles or Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. In my opinion, the most logical solution is to evaluate the reception for BMO Field after its renovations are completed for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. If the venue is successful, then a project could be undertaken to convert it into a full-sized stadium. It could prove a worthwhile investment to overhaul the entire area located in Exhibition Place into a premier sports entertainment venue.
In my view, however, expecting a city grappling with a housing affordability crisis and a 26-billion-dollar infrastructure gap to build a stadium isn’t just unrealistic — it’s irresponsible. It’s easy to say that these costs would be alleviated by a successful NFL product, but that is where further complications arise.
Is football willing to expand?
The biggest obstacle to Toronto landing an NFL team isn’t the city itself. It’s the NFL’s lack of readiness to expand.
Compared to the other major sports leagues, the NFL’s talent pool is significantly thinner. The NBA, MLB, and NHL all have minor league affiliates where players who might not get playtime in the big leagues can get a chance to develop, such as the NBA G League. Many players with untapped potential can become great assets if given an opportunity. Consider Dyson Daniels, a player for the Atlanta Hawks who is now enjoying a breakout season after getting minimal playtime on his first team, the New Orleans Pelicans, or Los Angeles Kings star defence Brandt Clarke, whose steady development in the Kings’ American Hockey League affiliate Ontario Reign has set him up for major league success.
The NFL, meanwhile, suffers from less talent and a player development issue. In recent years, several highly touted quarterback prospects have failed to succeed in the NFL due to being “thrown into the fire” rather than being given time to develop into long-term franchise quarterbacks. The 2021 NFL draft class is most indicative of this trend as four quarterbacks selected in the first round no longer play for the team that drafted them.
I think it’s important to note that football isn’t nearly as worldwide as the other major league sports, which also impedes global expansion. Football is the most inherently “American” sport and has fewer international athletes playing compared to other sports like hockey or basketball.
Now, if the league introduces a new team, another 53-man roster must be filled with adequately talented players. The NFL is already top-heavy, with a big gap between the best and worst teams — 10 of 32 teams finished with five or fewer wins in the 2024 season.
Simply put, the league needs to improve its talent pool and prioritize player development, otherwise expanding to Toronto is a recipe for disaster. Imagine walking into a half-empty stadium to watch a struggling team of second-string players. That’s the reality if the NFL expands without first addressing these fundamental issues.
What can come next
For the NFL to succeed globally, it must address this by building a foundation for the sport outside of the US. Borrowing from the NBA’s playbook, the league could introduce new grassroots programs internationally, encouraging an influx of global talent that could eventually feed into the college football system. In Toronto’s case, the NFL could consider a partnership with the Canadian Football League to promote interest in the game and strengthen player development. Until the NFL prioritizes these steps, its dream to expand to Toronto and beyond will remain out of reach.
Overall, the NFL should continue building on the success of its international games as a platform to grow the sport and explore new markets. However, establishing a viable franchise requires more than fan interest. It demands infrastructure, talent, and cultural alignment. The future of the NFL is bright, but before the league can expand to international markets, these systemic challenges need to be addressed to ensure a successful and sustained global expansion of the NFL product.
