Could the Jaguars Taking Another Home Game to London Impact the Perception of Players?

How could the Jaguars opting to play two games in London in 2020 impact Jacksonville's free agency?

When the Jacksonville Jaguars announced Tuesday that the team would be playing two home games, in back-to-back weeks, in London in 2020, the primary conversations regarding the decision centered on the team's future and the feelings of the fanbase.

But what about the opinions of those who will actually be playing the games in London? 

On the surface, playing two games in London could be appealing to some players; it is a trip to a widely-traveled foreign country and a chance to experience something many do not. It is a change from the norm. 

But for many athletes, a rapid change in their daily routine is far from ideal. In an already grueling 16-game season, two London games means more time spent abroad in a country they aren't accustomed to, more time away from their routines in Jacksonville, whether it be training, rehabbing, or anything else, and more time away from their families. 

No Jaguars players had public comments about the decision to play two games in London on Tuesday, but former players, as well as others throughout the league, let it be known that playing two games in London is likely not going to be popular with any locker room.

That sucks for season ticket holders, players, and players families. AMAZING for Jacksonville fans in the UK. #nothanks

— Golden Tate (@ShowtimeTate) February 4, 2020

Former Jaguars long snapper Matt Overton has played in three London games: one as a member of the Indianapolis Colts in 2016 and two with the Jaguars in 2017 and 2018. He knows as well as anybody what kind of toll the trip may take on a player, and why it isn't exactly an ideal situation for players. 

"Jags playing back to back games in London will be extremely exhausting for the players. That trip is brutal on everyone involved," Overton tweeted. 

Plus you’re saying screw you to your hometown fans

— Matt Overton (@MattOverton_LS) February 4, 2020

"I’ve played in London 3 times. It’s a fun trip but playing at HOME is way better. So let’s keep it real here. The Jaguars two games in London are not home games. It’s a money move. Period," Overton continued.

Overton isn't the only former Jaguars player to weigh in. Disgruntled cornerback Jalen Ramsey, whose relationship with the franchise as a whole is worse than toxic, chimed in on Twitter as well. Of course, Ramsey would likely take any shot at the Jaguars that he can, but it is worth pointing out that another player who played in London three times doesn't see it as a benefit.

😅 Glad I’m not where I used to be anymore 🙏🏾🙏🏾

— Jalen Ramsey (@jalenramsey) February 5, 2020

Another reason players may not be keen on London games is that time spent there actually actively takes money away from their contracts. Great Brittain levies high taxes on athletes from overseas, and athletes must pay a large portion of the paycheck they receive from London back in prorated taxes. Some could argue the Jaguars' locker room, which will now be paying even more in taxes due to a second game, will now be losing money so the Jaguars organization can benefit its bottom line. 

If these players fell this way, it is worth asking the question of how the Jaguars' decision to play two games in London can affect the team's standing with other players throughout the league. 

If the Jaguars want to sign a free agent, would London games be a deal-breaker? Money talks, of course, and one London game has never hampered the Jaguars. They have still been able to sign big free agents such as Calais Campbell, A.J. Bouye, Andrew Norwell, Julius Thomas, and others. 

But two games is a whole new scenario. It is another week, another paycheck, another seven-plus days spent out of the norm. For now, the Jaguars back-to-back games in London will only be for 2020, but if it goes beyond that? Players could realistically grumble.

The Jaguars already have to fight off a negative perception when speaking to potential players due to former executive Tom Coughlin's run-ins with the NFLPA. Now, the Jaguars will have to balance this with a trip that might not be half as popular with the athletes as it is to the Jaguars' brass.