With the NFL continuing to play regular season games across the pond in England, many are now wondering if the league will situate a team there full-time. But deep in the heart of soccer territory, how successful would an NFL team be? Not to mention, many players are already against the scheduling of Thursday Night Football, so how would they react to traveling to London?

Without a doubt, the games that have been played in England have been a great financial success for the NFL. In fact, in the seven years that the league has been traveling to the U.K., the games have been extremely popular, with nine of the 11 selling upwards of 83,000 tickets at London’s Wembley Stadium. The pertinent question is whether or not this success is a budding new fan base in the U.K., or just a popular novelty for a soccer-loving audience.

Many are unsure of the NFL’s ability to transcend cultural boundaries. Soccer reigns supreme in almost every country other than the United States as shown by an estimated 715.1 million who watched the 2006 World Cup, according to FIFA. Soccer and football fans are mostly not confident that soccer fans would be willing to split their time with American football. The biggest obstacle in the way of the NFL ascending to a global brand is the learning curve involved. American football can be convoluted, and many are quick to admit that it will take time learn the intricacies of a new sport. This learning curve is why many NFL fans see these games in London as a precursor to expansion to other countries.

Given the concern in the NFL community over the last few years regarding safety, having players travel to London several times per season would be yet another point of contention for the league’s critics. Many critics and even many in the Players’ Union say that the current schedule is unsatisfactory in allowing players time to recuperate between each game. Factoring in the travel time to London and back, that leaves more scheduling problems for the players. With many problems for the league office to address, it may not be time to attempt this ambitious expansion for the NFL.

While the NFL will seemingly be successful in its endeavors in the U.K., as there are three more games scheduled for the 2015 season as well. Londoners are enthusiastic about the NFL: ticket sales for games at Wembley Stadium being upwards of 225,000 sold this year alone, but is it just a fad? Frequent travel to the U.K. would present a challenge for NFL teams. Furthermore, such as the recent concussion lawsuits and the Adrian Peterson and Ray Rice incidents have hurt the league’s image. Therefore, the NFL should wait to place a team there. Perhaps the NFL will complete this project that they started seven years ago, but it is unlikely in the near future.