On Wednesday, the NFL released the full list of international games, a day before the league-wide release of full schedules. The Colts are set to play the Commanders at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England, on Oct. 4.

This Week 4 matchup overseas means the Colts and Commanders will both be playing consecutive international games, as the Commanders played overseas in Spain last year against the Miami Dolphins. There will be nine international games played in total this season, more than ever before.

In March, the league announced the expansion of its Global Markets Program, adding Italy as a market. This represents an additional effort to continue growing the NFL internationally, a goal it has been pursuing since 2022, when it launched the GMP. Even before then, the NFL has been hosting international games since 2007, when the New York Giants played the Dolphins in London.

For the Colts, this marks the third time in four seasons that they will play overseas. According to NFL Football Operations, teams are guaranteed to play at least once internationally in eight years. Some teams participate in these matchups more than others, notably the Jacksonville Jaguars, who have played 14 games in London since 2013.

Teams can opt out of NFL games to some extent, but the decision is mostly made by the league. The Green Bay Packers did not play their first international game until 2022, when they played in London. The reason was that they did not want to lose a home game off the schedule.

When it comes to international games, there should be more rules regarding the schedule. All teams should have to play an even number of international games; it should not be the same teams constantly participating. The Colts play internationally often, and while this is growing their fan base, it also results in lost home games and takes a toll on players.

While the travel and schedule changes that come with international play are not detrimental, they can take a toll on players. With the first-ever game in Australia happening this year, adjusting to schedules and having to practice constantly is something that should be taken into account more than ever.

With this game being earlier in the season, Daniel Jones may not be playing yet. While he is recovering well from his Achilles' tear and has begun to throw, according to reports, there is no guarantee that he will be ready to go by Week 1. If he is not, traveling is not good for any injury and could impact him.

Ideally, all of the Colts players will be fully healthy and ready for Week 4, but there is no way to say for certain. With an international game, the Colts will hope the team is in top shape before traveling overseas. The growth of the NFL internationally is great for the league and fanbases overall, but it could grow more if more teams were to play internationally instead of the same franchises repeatedly.