How Prince Albert could help bring NFL to Paris and Monaco
NFL 2025 season: Week 13
BBC coverage: Live text commentary of Thursday's and Sunday's games on the BBC Sport website and app (from 17:30 GMT). Also live radio commentary on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra and BBC Sounds of Buffalo Bills v Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday (from 21:00).
Sao Paulo, London, Berlin, Madrid - some of the world's biggest cities have showcased the NFL this season.
Paris could soon follow as the Stade de France is bidding to become Europe's newest host for a regular-season game.
If the French capital is awarded a game in 2026 or 2027, the New Orleans Saints have said they want to play in it.
But, as the NFL's international expansion continues, it could be heading to an even more glamourous location.
The Saints' efforts to grow American football in France has helped them make friends in high places, earning the team an invitation to the exclusive enclave of Monaco.
How Saints made their move into French market
The NFL launched its global markets programme in 2022, giving teams marketing rights outside the US, and the only region the Saints have ventured into is France.
Given the country's cultural and historical links with New Orleans, Greg Bensel, a senior vice-president with the Saints, told BBC Sport that "it was a natural market for us to go grab".
The Saints are the only NFL team with marketing rights in France, so set about building business and community links virtually from scratch.
They reached out to the respective ambassadors before looking at "what they have established on the tackle football front", and learned about the Paris Musketeers.
Owned by an American trio, the team started playing in the European League of Football in 2023. Led by former NFL head coach Jack del Rio, the Musketeers feature mainly French players and in May they and the Saints announced a strategic partnership that will include joint initiatives in New Orleans and Paris.
Linebacker Demario Davis was part of a Saints delegation that attended a series of events in Paris in July, including a Musketeers game and a flag football clinic for more than 200 girls and boys, which was delivered by members of the Saints' youth football department in conjunction with the Musketeers.
Why Prince of Monaco has begun working with Saints
While building contacts in France some mutual friends introduced the Saints to the Prince of Monaco, Albert II.
Not only is he the son of Oscar winner Grace Kelly, who left behind a Hollywood movie career to marry his father Prince Rainier III, but Albert is a keen sportsman and competed at five Winter Olympics for Monaco in bobsleigh.
He was a guest of the Saints at this year's Super Bowl in New Orleans so, when Donald Trump became the first sitting US president to attend the NFL's championship game, Prince Albert was sat immediately behind him.
His most recent visit to his mother's native Philadelphia was in 2023 and, while in New Orleans in February, he wore an Eagles cap during a tour of the city.
"He loves the American lifestyle and sports," said Bensel. "He loves the NFL, he loves the Saints and the city of New Orleans and he's like 'what can I do to help and be a part of this?'"
Prince Albert invited Bensel and Saints owner Gayle Benson to the prestigious Red Cross gala in Monaco in July, where they discussed having an off-season mini-camp in the principality.
They typically take place in May or June, and the most likely venue would be AS Monaco's football stadium.
"We got a chance to spend some time with Charles Leclerc and other influential Monegasque folk," Bensel added. "We've been welcomed with open arms, in Paris and Monaco.
"Mrs Benson has struck up a wonderful relationship with Prince Albert and she's gone to visit him a number of times.
"He has expressed interest in potentially hosting our team in Monaco for two or three days of practice. What does that look like? We're just talking about it right now. But he has a genuine interest in our team."
Will there be an NFL game in Paris - or a Dublin return?
Holding a training camp in Monaco would certainly help boost the Saints' profile in France before a potential game in Paris.
The NFL has carried out a site visit of the Stade de France and is set to announce its next international games.
"We are fully supportive of that bid and would like to play in that game," said Bensel. "If we get a game in 2026 or 2027, we'd love to do a large run-up to that.
"But we've done enough legwork in the market so that we can hit the go button and be prepared."
The Saints are in talks with the French Federation of American Football (FFFA) and plan to implement school flag football programmes in five or six cities across France, plus a league structure, before any Paris game.
Benson also own the NBA's New Orleans Pelicans, so the Saints' leadership group already has some media partners in France and know that "the NBA is more prominent than the NFL".
"We did it with eyes wide open," added Bensel. "In the United Kingdom and Germany, they love the NFL. In France, not as much. We entered the market knowing that."
The NFL is also discussing potential games in the Middle East and Asia, while Ireland and Spain staged their first games this season.
Brett Gosper, the NFL's head of Europe & Asia-Pacific, told BBC Sport that the league has "identified 13 markets that are our priority on a number of criteria, and our goal is to invest in those markets because we believe there's a fanbase. We believe there are partners there that can increase our footprint."
Gosper said that international games "serve as a lightning rod for new fans in the new markets that we're expanding into.
"We just want to make sure that all of the elements are lined up for those games to be a success when we enter those markets, and continue to work them with a local presence as we go forward."
And Gosper provided some positive news for any fans hoping for a Paris game, or a return to Dublin or Madrid.
"If we go to markets, it's never going to be a one-off," he said. "It may not be every year, but it won't be a one-off."
NFL will again celebrate the John Madden legacy on Thanksgiving
For years, Americans welcomed John Madden into their homes on Thanksgiving. The NFL is ensuring that Madden's legacy remains a part of the holiday.
This year the NFL will once again celebrate Madden on Thanksgiving, with tributes to Madden broadcast on Fox, CBS and NBC during the Packers-Lions, Chiefs-Cowboys and Bengals-Ravens game.
Players on all six teams will wear patches honoring Madden's legacy on their jerseys, and the coin toss for all three games will feature a silhouette of Madden as heads and a six-legged turducken as tails.
The MVP of each of the three games will receive a Madden trophy and will choose a high school or youth football program that will receive a $10,000 donation from the NFL Foundation. Items from the three games will also be auctioned with proceeds going to the John Madden Foundation for the youth of Oakland.
As part of the Bengals-Ravens game, Peacock will offer an EA Sports Madden NFL Cast that blends elements of the video game with the live broadcast. The Madden NFL Cast will use the sky cam angle behind the quarterback as the primary camera angle, the same primary angle that Madden players are accustomed to.
Madden was known to one generation of football fans as a Hall of Fame coach, to a second generation as the NFL's most popular broadcaster, and to a third generation for the video game that bears his name. He died in December of 2021 at the age of 85. Since 2022, the NFL has honored him each year on Thanksgiving.
2026 NFL mock draft 3.0: Jets, Raiders pick QBs at 1-2 after trades, while 2 Ohio State defenders go top 10
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! If your team is out of the playoff hunt and you’re looking forward to the offseason, then not only can you stuff your face with Thanksgiving dinner this week, you can also feast on this mock draft.
In this mock draft, Nate Tice makes the odd-numbered picks, and Charles McDonald makes the even. Draft order via Tankathon.
Mendoza is an accurate thrower to all three levels who constantly goes to the right place with the ball. The offense uses plenty of RPOs, but Mendoza is an efficient operator in true dropback situations like on third down and in the red zone. He’s also a solid athlete and creator. Mendoza will bring a high floor and an underrated ceiling to New York behind a a young and talented offensive line, and pass catchers like Garrett Wilson and Mason Taylor with whom he should have some natural synergy. I like Mendoza high in the draft. I especially like him for the Jets’ current infrastructure.
2. Las Vegas Raiders (via New York Giants) — Dante Moore, QB, Oregon
The Raiders will be starting yet another rebuild in short order here, unless ownership decides that it doesn’t want to pay for yet another coaching staff not to actually work for the club. Whether Pete Carroll returns as head coach or not, the Raiders need to find a new quarterback, since the Geno Smith trade has been a surprising disaster. Here, they take Moore, who has started only one season in college but has the high-end traits teams seek at the top of the draft.
The Saints let the Tyler Shough experiment ride for one more year in this exercise, biding their time before absolutely committing to Shough, Spencer Rattler or for someone in the 2027 class.
Reese is a defensive weapon in the front seven who can impact the game off the ball as a linebacker or on the line of scrimmage as an edge defender. He is scheme-proof because of his excellent combination of athleticism and fiery play, but he especially fits the Saints with Brandon Staley’s scheme and as their long-time stalwarts age out. High-end pass rush ability and off-ball coast-to-coast run defense is a winning combination in today’s NFL.
4. Tennessee Titans (via New York Jets) — Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State
After trading back from the first pick in this mock, the Titans grab a potential No. 1 wide receiver for the promising Cam Ward. Tyson has been a complete stud for Arizona State the past two years and has the physical traits to be a big-play machine in the NFL. His receiving numbers are a bit down this year, but that’s only because of injuries and poor play at quarterback. With Calvin Ridley suffering a broken fibula last week, the Titans desperately need to add a big-time playmaker here.
5. New York Giants (via Las Vegas Raiders) — Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon
The Giants could bolster the interior of their offensive line, but that unit’s play this season has been a bit underrated, and I also don’t have any offensive linemen rated quite this high. Same at defensive back, although Caleb Downs is tempting.
Instead, let’s inject even more athleticism to a Giants pass catching group that could quickly become dangerous, and uniquely dangerous, when Malik Nabers returns. Sadiq is explosive enough as a route runner and with the ball in his hands to be a valid threat when split out, with some blocking chops to boot. He has emerged in recent weeks as a vertical threat, which only adds to Sadiq’s impact on the game. The Giants even have the bonus of having the talented Theo Johnson on their roster., who is in the midst of a small breakout this season and has a skill set that is perfectly complementary with Sadiq’s.
Some people may be surprised by this, but the Browns are still on track to spend an early selection on quarterback. Here they get the uber-talented LaNorris Sellers as a lottery ticket to potentially chase down having to play in a (normally) very tough division. They still don’t have enough firepower on offense, but with the defense being Super Bowl-ready, it’s time to take yet another big swing at quarterback.
This would be a boon for the Commanders. Faulk was my midseason No. 1 player, and would give the Commanders a talented young edge player that can impact the game as a run defender right away, with a solid floor and real upside as a pass rusher. Faulk's ability to defend the run is something the Commanders desperately need, and they can develop and build around him. Faulk is young (he just turned 20 in September), athletic, built like an ideal defensive end, and plays hard. I’m a big fan.
Cincinnati could use talent at every position on defense, so why not just take arguably the best player in college football? Caleb Downs has been an NFL-caliber player since he first stepped foot on Alabama’s campus as a freshman, and his play has only improved at Ohio State. If he played a position deemed as more valuable, he would be going much higher than this.
Who knows what happens with Kyler Murray this offseason. No matter what, the Cardinals have to inject more talent into their offensive line. Mauigoa could either be the Cardinals’ long-term starter at right tackle to replace Jonah Williams (who is a free agent), or he can bump inside and rejuvenate Arizona’s interior that hasn’t been exactly moving people this season. The Cardinals could look to add more to their defense, but it has actually been a top-10 unit (10th in FTN’s defensive DVOA statistic) and spent all last offseason pumping resources into that side of the ball.
Miami has improved a lot from the start of the season, but they still need some major improvements along the offensive line to stabilize their level of play. Spencer Fano has the talent right now to start at offensive tackle, with the potential to grow into a special player down the road.
Simpson is a first-year starter and he plays like he’s been a kinked up hose, firing the football all over the yard and constantly looking to attack defenses down the field. Simpson can sometimes get himself in trouble with his aggressiveness, but getting to sit behind Matthew Stafford for at least a year could let Simpson, who hasn’t made a ton of starts, continue to refine his game behind one of the game’s foremost gunslingers.
Brian Flores is one of the elite defensive coordinators of his era of football, but the Vikings’ defense still needs a major infusion of talent. David Bailey, who could go much higher than this when it’s all said and done, would potentially create a nice edge rushing duo with the much-improved Dallas Turner.
The Panthers’ defense has been much improved after their absolutely dismal 2024 season (Jaycee Horn and Derrick Brown being healthy definitely helps), and now Bain falls into their lap. Bain’s powerful play style reminds me a lot of Eagles great Brandon Graham, and his strength could let him move along the Panthers defensive front and kick inside based on the look. I think that would fit nicely with the Panthers’ current players (Nic Scourton has had some real moments as a rookie, too) and scheme. Bain is higher on boards, so they would probably be celebrating with this pick.
Somehow, Dallas has a chance to have a solid defense next year. Quinnen Williams has been playing at an All-Pro level since the trade deadline, which has made Dallas’ defense dramatically better. They still need to add talent to the backend though, which they can do here with Avieon Terrell from Clemson — the brother of Falcons star cornerback A.J. Terrell.
FINALLY. SPEED IN THE KANSAS CITY BACKFIELD. The Chiefs’ young offensive line is firmly good, if not one of the league’s best, and they have had one of the league’s better run games this season — yes, really — no matter who has been getting the carries. What the run game has lacked for several seasons now is explosive plays coming from their backfield; Patrick Mahomes has more scrambles that have gained 12 or more yards this season than the Chiefs’ running backs have rushes that gained that much. That’s Jeremiyah Love all the way, one of the best overall players in this draft class with the ability to take any touch to the house. I know running back didn’t work out the last time the Chiefs took one in the first round, but Love would give the Chiefs an element that they simply haven’t had in years. I’m giddy at the thought.
There probably isn’t a quarterback worth this selection, so the Steelers can add some much-needed firepower here. Carnell Tate could very well be a No. 1 wideout in his own right, he just happens to play on the same team as the otherworldly Jeremiah Smith. Tate and DK Metcalf would be a great duo for whoever is throwing passes for Pittsburgh next season.
The Texans’ offensive line has been coming along! But that doesn’t mean they should be done improving it. Aireontae Ersery has been more than holding his own at left tackle, which has me looking inside for where the Texans could get a boost of talent. Ioane is a mauler on the inside who would help boost Houston’s run game and solidify the pocket for C.J. Stroud for years to come.
It hasn't been the season Penn State and Vega Ioane hoped for, but he should still hear his name called fairly early in next spring's NFL Draft. (Photo by Ric Tapia/Getty Images)
Taylor Decker’s play has taken a dip this year after a long time manning the blindside in Detroit, making the idea of drafting his replacement a bit more palatable. Caleb Lomu is the “other” tackle at Utah, but he’s a quality first-round talent in his own right.
The Bucs finally find their Lavonte David replacement. Styles is the other Buckeyes linebacker of this draft class, but he’s a talented player in his own right. Styles is athletic with range in coverage and as a run defender, too. He has size and is a downright excellent tackler in space and in the box. Styles’ intelligence also pops when watching him in Ohio State’s defense. He can impact the game in a variety of ways, fits nicely in Todd Bowles’ defense, and is a good replacement for a legend like David.
This would be a dream scenario for Baltimore. Peter Woods has the talent to go much higher than this, but like most of Clemson’s team he hasn’t quite played up to his talent level. Baltimore needs a big-time talent in the middle of the defense, and at this point the potential of Woods is too good to pass up.
This one is pretty simple: get the big quarterback who likes to throw the ball hard a big wide receiver that can catch the football when it's thrown hard. Keon Coleman was supposed to be that, but the Bills try again and take Boston here. Boston is a true X wide receiver that can win in isolation and on the boundary. He is a weapon in the red zone on fade balls and his strides eat up the ground, which opens up his impact as a downfield weapon (he’s been Washington’s punt returner as well). The trenches (A’Mauri Washington especially) or even a linebacker could be the pick here, but I think Boston is the exact type of wide receiver that Josh Allen and this Bills offense have so desperately needed.
Kadyn Proctor has struggled with his weight at Alabama, but when he’s been able to play his way into shape his immense talent is undeniable. Proctor has ridiculous athleticism for someone listed at 360 pounds, carrying the ball against Georgia on an impressive reception. Proctor can be as good as he wants to be, which is exactly what the Browns should be shooting for at this point in their rebuild.
Amidst season-ending injuries to their two best defensive players in Fred Warner and Nick Bosa and their first-round pick Mykel Williams, the 49ers have had several young defenders really step up this season, especially on the back end. The offensive line could be addressed here, or even wide receiver with the recent news about Brandon Aiyuk, but the 49ers instead continue to bolster their run defense and give their front a big body that adds another building block. Williams and Washington could be an especially ferocious combo against the run very quickly and would complement Bosa perfectly when he returns next season.
The Cowboys add more size and power to their defensive line rotation with the selection of Matayo Uiagalelei, brother of D.J., the former Clemson, Oregon State and Florida State quarterback. Uiagalelei is still just scratching the surface of how dominant he can be as an overall player and would get a lot of nice opportunities next to Quinnen Williams.
The Chargers need to hold up better against the run next season, especially when Teair Tart is off the field (or finally gets a multi-year deal somewhere). Defensive coordinator Jesse Minter does a great job with his game plans against the pass, but too many times this season the Chargers have been gashed in the run game. Clemson edge T.J. Parker could be another candidate here, albeit at a different spot up front, against the run game.
26. Chicago Bears — Dani Dennis-Sutton, Edge, Penn State
The Bears and defensive coordinator Dennis Allen prefer size at defensive end, and that’s a strong selling point for Dani Dennis-Sutton (6-5, 265 pounds), who’s playing much stronger football in recent weeks and has re-established himself as a player that could go in the first round.
Just continue to juice that tenacious Seahawks defense. Mike Macdonald’s unit is unlocked when there is a capable linebacker stabilizing everything. Ernest Jones IV has been that player, but his health will remain a question mark for the rest of his career. Allen gives the Seahawks a young player that can play like a veteran quickly and provide quality snaps against the run and pass. Allen isn’t overwhelming in any aspect as a defender, but he can be a keystone defender for Macdonald’s kaleidoscopic scheme.
With their second first-round pick after trading down, the Titans take cornerback Jermod McCoy from Tennessee. McCoy has yet to suit up in a game this season due to injury, but his tape from last season screamed first round and he sneaks in here as a stash pick for the Titans.
The Eagles could definitely look at the trenches here, especially a Lane Johnson replacement that could moonlight at guard. And they’ve typically done a great job of having depth at their line positions. But the non-Quinyon Mitchell, non-Cooper DeJean cornerback has been a sore spot for the Eagles this season. Delane doesn’t have top-tier tools, but his awareness and feel in zone coverages would fit perfectly in Vic Fangio’s defense and pair so nicely with Mitchell on the opposite side. This fit and potential to have such a talented defensive back room is more and more exciting the more I’ve marinated on it.
The Broncos have one of the best rosters in the league, but as long as they can continue to add offensive talent, they probably should. USC wide receiver Makai Lemon is a skilled, precise player who looks like he would fit nicely across from Courtland Sutton for Denver.
After getting their quarterback of the future with their other first-round pick, the Rams look to bridge their current offensive line with their line of the future. Tiernan is big with efficient footwork and is a smart pass protector with his plan and patience. He could replace Rob Havenstein at right tackle whenever Havenstein moves on in his career, with the ability to play on the left side as well. The Rams could also look at the back seven here, but they might just continue their trend of building it with Days 2 and 3 picks and former first-round retreads.
The Patriots have their quarterback, but they still need to continue beefing up the offensive line to ensure Drake Maye stays up right and healthy. Just draft offensive linemen until you have a good unit. They can continue their journey on that front with the high-upside Isaiah World, who should have a strong draft season once he recovers from nagging injuries.
