NFL rumors: Steelers viewed as 'prime candidate' for first Ireland game

The NFL kicks off the first of three straight London games on Sunday morning with the Vikings taking on the Jets. Roger Goodell is making a concerted effort to expand the NFL into new international markets to grow the game's global reach. This could be good news for the Pittsburgh Steelers, who are rumored to be at the top of the list for one international market.

The NFL is reportedly exploring international games in Spain, Ireland, and France according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Schefter also reported that many believe the Steelers are a prime candidate to play a regular-season game in Dublin, Ireland.

The Rooney family has owned the Steelers for nearly a century. The family has deep Irish roots, which almost guarantees that the Steelers will be featured in the game.

It is important to note that the Steelers already hold the international marketing rights to the Island of Ireland. This includes both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell teases next steps to make NFL truly global

The Steelers are not the only team that will benefit from the NFL's international expansion.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has grand plans for expanding the league's footprint on a global scale. Goodell shared his vision for the league's international expansion during an interview on CNBC back in September.

“We feel like this game is destined to be global. We expect to be in Asia soon, we expect to be in Australia soon,” Goodell said. “We're going to make sure that our game is around the globe and I think the ownership have been great on that. They passed a resolution where every team is obligated to play (outside the US). We're going to have eight games a year, minimum [played outside the United States]. And if we do get to an 18-2 (regular and preseason) game season, we will likely see even more international games. And I hope someday we'll be playing 16 (outside the US).”

The NFL played its first regular-season game in Brazil in Week 1.

The Steelers are hopeful that Dublin, Ireland is next on the NFL's list for international games.