"Teams Really Are Concerned": Steelers Among Franchises That Are Not Happy With Roger Goodell

The Pittsburgh Steelers will play an international matchup in 2026 for the second year in a row. This time, the organization will travel to Paris, France for a showdown with the New Orleans Saints. There are positives and negatives to these events, and the franchise won't have a bye week directly after competing against the NFC foe. That is different than 2025, as the team did get a break right after defeating the Minnesota Vikings in Dublin, Ireland. On the positive side, these contests allow the league to get an ever broader footprint, which will only help the entity as a whole moving forward.

While the Steelers did come out of the Fair City with a win, there was a little bit of a scare that occurred outside of the field itself. Then-backup quarterback Skylar Thompson ended up being robbed while Pittsburgh was overseas.

This opened up a discussion about the safety of players and coaches alike while they are playing outside of the United States. This could happen again, as the league has goals of having every franchise play internationally in the near future. It certainly helps the NFL make a ton of money and advances the amount of fans worldwide, but that doesn't come with a lack of concern.

In a fan chat hosted by Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that was held on Tuesday, someone chimed in hoping to joke with a question about which Steelers quarterback would get robbed in Paris. The beat writer quickly shot it down and noted that this is something that many organizations are worried about, especially with Roger Goodell's goals moving forward.

"You joke, but teams really are concerned about that when they go to these European cities," Fittipaldo wrote.

The Steelers, being a franchise that saw this firsthand in 2025, can likely be included on the list of those that are a bit worried about what the future may hold. While Thompson turned out to be okay, it doesn't make the situation any less scary. There could be something that occurs down the line that has serious consequences. All in all, Thompson avoided any kind of legitimate disaster, but that doesn't mean something more detrimental is incapable of happening.

Players don't want to have to worry about their safety whenever they are on the road for a game. This doesn't matter if it is inside or outside of the country. Additionally, they shouldn't have to be confined to a hotel room for the several days that they are in town. The NFL is going to need to seriously vet areas that are hosting teams, and it shouldn't come as a surprise if the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) begins to get involved if their collective is starting to feel unsafe in certain markets.

Thompson wasn't necessarily a big name so this story didn't make a ton of headlines; however, it should have to raise some awareness as to what can happen. The league office is probably raking in millions of dollars when these big events occur, but it's not fair to the players if they have to be cautious while in an area that they are not familiar with.

Steelers Should Use Thompson's Experience As A Learning Lesson

While some could argue that something like what happened to Thompson is unlikely to occur again, the possibility can't be ignored. Because it is so fresh in the minds of players that were in Ireland in 2025, the Steelers will most certainly remind members of the roster and staff to travel together, or at least be cognizant of their surroundings. No one deserves to get robbed for simply wanting to explore the sights.

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