Mon dieu! It may be a mostly slow time for NFL news these days in the two weeks between the conference championship games and the playing of the Super Bowl, and so we had to go across the ocean to find something breaking about the Cleveland Browns. Or, as they say in Paris, les Browns de Cleveland.
Yes, the Browns are heading to Europe in 2026, putting forth the first NFL game in history to be played in Paris. Cleveland will be the visiting team and the home team will be the New Orleans Saints on October 25 at Stade de France just north of Paris.
The report comes from RMC Sport, which wrote on its website: “After months of negotiations, it is finally official: according to information given to RMC Sport, the first NFL game in France will take place in Paris, at the Stade de France, on October 25, 2026. It will feature the New Orleans Saints against the Cleveland Browns.”
Browns Will Ride Saints Coattails in Paris
It does not figure to be a marquee game by NFL standards, of course, as the Browns are coming off a 5-12 season and the Saints were just 6-11, though they improved as the year went on. But it is a big step for the Saints, who have for years been attempting to use the French history of Louisiana and New Orleans to market themselves in France.
The game against the Browns, in a stadium that holds 80,000 fans, will be a test as to their success.
While multiple teams have been marketing themselves in Germany and Britain in an attempt to open up European markets, the Saints have been the only team selling themselves in France. In 2023, the NFL announced, “The New Orleans Saints have been granted international marketing rights in France — the first NFL club to select and be awarded the French market — in what is also their first entry into the Global Markets Program. ”
Now, perhaps the Browns can get in on the act.
GettyBrowns new head coach Todd Monken
Todd Monken Building Coaching Staff — on Offense
Of course, a trip to Paris feels a long way off these days for the Browns, who still have a good deal of work to do at just about every level here as February is upon us. The Browns hired new coach Todd Monken, of course, but it did not come without controversy–the move angered incumbent defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, who thought he’d be bumped up to head coach.
Monken has since been filling out his staff, but notably, only doing so on the offensive side of the ball. According to Cleveland.com, he has brought in Travis Switzer to be the team’s offensive coordinator, with Danny Breyer as the pass-game coordinator and George Warhop as the offensive line coach.
The Browns are also reported to be close to adding Mike Bajakian as the new quarterbacks coach and Jeff Blasko as the tight ends coach. Daniel Stern is a candidate to be the associate head coach.
Monken has, notably, not made any decisions on the defensive side of the ball, as the team still hopes it can smooth things over with Schwartz and retain him as the defensive coordinator–he is under contract for two more seasons.
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