Cam Newton says NFL's global push is 'on brand' ahead of historic 2026 season: 'It’s business'

Buffalo Bills Pro Bowl left tackle Dion Dawkins weighed in on the NFL's potential 18th regular-season game debate, viewing it from a player's point of view with a key "counter."

The NFL will play a record nine international games during the 2026 season, spanning four different continents and seven countries, and beginning with a stop in Melbourne, Australia. 

The Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers will play the first-ever game in Australia, but it will be played at 10:35 a.m. local time on Friday Sept. 11 to coincide with a Thursday night game at 8:35 p.m. ET in the U.S. 

With the NFL continuing its push to reach millions more globally, there is a question: what do players think about it, especially those that will be in situations like the Rams and 49ers come September? 

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ESPN analyst Cam Newton is on the set of "First Take" on Feb. 6, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Aaron M. Sprecher/Getty Images)

Former NFL MVP Cam Newton was never able to play overseas, as he battled a Lisfranc injury when his squad was set to play in the United Kingdom. However, he believes, from a business perspective for the NFL, a global push makes too much sense. 

"I think what the NFL is doing is almost on brand. It’s business," he said. "As we’re having this conversation about business, they understand the magnitude of magnifying the game of football. They’re doing it on one sense with full-contact football, but they’re also doing it in another sense, that comes probably more natural, with the flag dynamic. 

According to the International Federation of American Football, there are 2.4 million kids under 17 who play organized flag football in the U.S. But globally, there are millions