Joe Burrow’s NFL dreams come true as unusual schedule request granted for 2026 season

What Joe Burrow wants, Joe Burrow gets.

The Cincinnati Bengals quarterback will play internationally for the first time in his NFL career.

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This comes after learning that the AFC North outfit were named as the Atlanta Falcons‘ opponent for a regular season game held in Madrid, Spain – one of a record-nine game slate the 2026 season has to offer.

You’d have to go back over a year to March 18, 2025, when Burrow posted to his Instagram story, “Bengals v. Dolphins in Madrid? Please be true.”

Unfortunately for the 2020 No. 1 overall pick, the rumors were just that, a rumor, and the Miami Dolphins went on to face – and defeat – the Washington Commanders at the Bernabeu Stadium which is home to La Liga side Real Madrid.

The 29-year-old signal caller also made it abundantly clear after the 2025 schedule came out, that he wanted to play overseas.

When asked if he had any scheduling requests, he said, “Maybe an international game next year.”

Now, the NFL schedule deciders have appeared to grant that request.

Burrow appeared in season two of the Netflix series ‘Quarterback’, a documentary show which follows around some of the NFL QBs over the course of the season.

He revealed in the same interview that he agreed to participate in the show, alongside veterans Jared Goff and Kirk Cousins in order to reach an international audience.

“Part of the reason I wanted to do the ‘Quarterback’ show, I wanted to help grow the game internationally, and so to not have a stage like that is a little disappointing,” Burrow added.

“Because I feel like I’ve consciously worked hard to try to grow the game internationally over the last 18 months or so.

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“So hopefully at some point in my career we can go over there.”

Growing list of international games

The Bengals were – until this point – one of five teams in the NFL who had yet to play an international game this decade, joining the Detroit Lions, Houston Texans, Las Vegas Raiders, and Dallas Cowboys.

But the NFL also took that into consideration, with the Lions heading to Munich, Germany to face the New England Patriots, the Texans going over the pond to the UK to face the home team Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium.

The Cowboys will be flying over to Brazil to play the NFL’s first ever game in Rio de Janeiro, where Jerry Jones‘ team will be embroiled in a heavyweight clash against the Baltimore Ravens.

The rest of the Bengals season stacks up well, but much will depend on how fit Burrow is as he aims to bounce back and lead Cincy back to the playoffs.

After preseason games against the Lions, Bears and Eagles, they begin their 2026 campaign with seven straight games in the 6pm window and then head to Madrid.

The second half of the season features three primetime games, first in November against the Steelers on Sunday Night Football.

A second AFC North game comes on New Years Eve when they take on the Ravens on Thursday Night Football.

Both of those games are at home, with their other primetime game on the road in Washington to take on the Commanders in November.

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