It's clear that the NFL is committed to building its brand in London.
The league has been hosting regular-season games in the city since 2007. There will be two more games in 2013, and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell reportedly indicated Tuesday that the league's hope is to eventually put an actual franchise in London.
An intriguing idea no doubt, but one that's sure to be met with some disapproval from the players. Take, for example, Andrew Whitworth, the Cincinnati Bengals offensive tackle who has a plan in place if he were to end up on a team that played home games in Europe.
"I would hope that I was financially able to quit," Whitworth said, via The Cincinnati Enquirer. "That's what I would hope because if I was my papers would be the first one in."
Whitworth doesn't believe he's alone. As a connected guy -- Whitworth is the Bengals' representative for the NFL Players Association -- he might know.
"I don't see that a lot of guys would want to do that," he said. "I don't see any players that would enjoy that. Sure, you may find a handful of guys that say, 'Oh hey, that'd be cool,' but the rest of them wouldn't."
Whitworth brings up a legitimate point. A franchise in London would struggle to attain consistent and lasting success if it were unable to lure free agents or hold on to homegrown draft picks. Whitworth might have an extreme take on the situation, but player sentiment can't be overlooked.
Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter @DanHanzus.
