With the new edition of the last Super Bowl between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots (29:13), the new season of the National Football League (NFL) begins on Thursday night in Germany (2:20 a.m. CEST on RTL and Sky). The most important questions and answers:
Who is the big favorite?
The bookmakers in the USA see the Los Angeles Rams as the big favorite to win Super Bowl LXI. The Buffalo Bills, the Baltimore Ravens, the Seattle Seahawks and the Kansas City Chiefs also have good chances. The 61st NFL final game will take place on February 14, 2027 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles - for the second time after 2022. At that time, by the way, the Rams won against the Cincinnati Bengals (23:20).
Why are the Los Angeles Rams favored?
Head coach Sean McVay's team reached the semifinals last season, narrowly losing to the Seahawks (27:31). It has strengthened considerably since then, including with defensive superstar Myles Garrett: The 30-year-old is a specialist in hunting down the opponent's quarterback; last season he recorded 23 so-called sacks. Second coup: McVay persuaded defensive specialist Aaron Donald to make a comeback after a year-long break.
Which Germans play in the NFL?
Numerous Germans made it to the training camps, but only three were included in the 53-man squad of the 30 teams. This was to be expected with Amon-Ra St. Brown (Detroit Lions) and Brandon Coleman (Washington Commanders). The Houston Texans are also giving Rhinelander Marlin Klein a chance: The tight end was selected at position 59 in the draft.
Who are the big earners?
The quarterback position is the most important in football, and the playmakers are paid accordingly. Only quarterbacks are among the top ten players with the highest salary in the 2026/27 season - led by Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs), who earns 63.1 million dollars (the equivalent of around 54.33 million euros).
They are followed by Dak Prescott (Dallas Cowboys/$60 million – around 51.66 million euros), Matthew Stafford (Los Angeles Rams), Josh Allen (Buffalo Bills) and Jordan Love (Green Bay Packers/55 million dollars each – around 47.36 million euros). Highest paid non-quarterback: Defensive end Will Anderson (Houston Texans) at $50 million (around 43.05 million euros).
Who should you pay attention to?
In addition to the German players: the Chiefs. Star quarterback Mahomes, who suffered a torn cruciate ligament in December 2025, is scheduled to make his comeback this weekend against the Denver Broncos - he will be supported by Travis Kelce (36), who has been married to pop superstar Taylor Swift since July and is still hanging on for one last season. And Aaron Rodgers (42). The quarterback was persuaded by Mike McCarthy, his former coach at the Green Bay Packers (now at the Pittsburgh Steelers), to play another season together.
When is the game played in Germany?
The “German Game” will be played in Munich. On November 15th, superstar Amon-Ra St. Brown will face the New England Patriots with the Lions. The NFL will play a total of nine regular season games outside the USA next season, including in Australia (Melbourne) for the first time on Friday - the San Francisco 49ers will meet the Rams. New to the calendar is France (Paris).
Who broadcasts on free TV in Germany?
The takeover of Sky by the RTL Group is intended to significantly expand the range of services. Instead of the previous four individual games, up to nine individual games per week will be broadcast live. RTL will be showing two games on free TV on Sunday (7 p.m. and 10 p.m.). Sky is even setting up its own 24/7 channel with Sky Sport NFL. DAZN has lost its rights, but NFL Game Pass can be booked via the platform.
