CLEVELAND, Ohio — Todd Monken won’t have to take the Browns across the pond in the middle of his first season as head coach.

The Browns won’t be facing the Saints on Oct. 25 in the first NFL game in Paris, a league source confirmed for cleveland.com. Instead, the Steelers, their AFC North rival, got that assignment, as first reported by @OzzyNFL.

French radio company RMC Sports had reported on Feb. 2 that the Browns would be the Saints’ opponent for the Paris game, even citing Shedeur Sanders’ trip to the City of Lights around that time, presumably to film a commercial for the game. Both things were false.

@OzzyNFL also reported that the Browns won’t be facing the Jaguars in London on Oct. 11 in Week 5. That game went to the Eagles.

The Paris and London games will be officially announced by the NFL on Wednesday, with the full NFL schedule being released on Thursday night at 8 p.m. The Browns will reveal their 2026 lineup on their social media accounts Thursday at 7:30 p.m.

The NFL also announced on Tuesday that the Bengals will visit the Falcons in Madrid in Week 9 on Nov. 8. It marks Cincinnati’s first international game in seven years.

News of the Saints’ and Jaguars’ international opponents on Tuesday means the Browns will face the Saints in New Orleans and the Jaguars in Jacksonville this season.

Coming off their 5-12 mark, the Browns have the easiest schedule in the NFL this season in terms of their opponents’ win-loss record from 2025 (.429). They have the fourth-easiest schedule based on 2026 projected win totals by Vegas oddsmakers, according to Sharp Football Analysis.

With the NFL expanding its global footprint, the Browns and Saints were awarded the inaugural international marketing rights in Italy in March through the NFL’s Global Markets Program. The Browns were previously awarded marketing rights in Nigeria in 2024.

The Browns’ marketing rights in Italy honor Cleveland’s deep-rooted connection to Italian culture, including one of the largest Italian-American populations in the United States and the city’s historic Little Italy neighborhood. Established in the late 1800s as one of the largest Italian settlements in the U.S., it remains a vibrant hub celebrating and honoring Italian culture and traditions.

“Our experience in Nigeria has shown us how our brand and football can bring communities together while creating meaningful opportunities abroad for young athletes,” Chief Marketing Officer Brent Rossi said in a release in March. “As we enter the Italian market, we’re excited to build on that foundation and connect with new international fans in a way that reflects both the Browns’ identity and the local Italian culture right here in Northeast Ohio.”

It also means the Browns will have a good chance of playing in the first ever NFL game in Italy when the NFL expands there in the future.

The NFL will play nine international games in 2026 — the most on record — to be played across four continents, seven countries and eight stadiums.

One game in Melbourne, Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, featuring the Los Angeles Rams as one of the participating teamsOne game in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil at the Maracanã StadiumOne game in Munich, Germany at FC Bayern Munich ArenaThree games in London, U.K.One game in Madrid, Spain at the Bernabéu Stadium – home to Real Madrid C.F.One game in Paris, France at the Stade de France, featuring the New Orleans Saints as one of the participating teamsOne game in Mexico City, Mexico at the Estadio Banorte — home to Club América

Fans can sign up to receive information on all NFL 2026 International Games at the following:

2026 NFL Melbourne game, visit: nfl.com/Melbourne2026 NFL Rio game, visit: nfl.com/Rio2026 NFL Munich game, visit: nfl.com/Munich2026 NFL Madrid game, visit: nfl.com/Madrid2026 NFL Paris game, visit: nfl.com/Paris2026 NFL Mexico City game, visit: nfl.com/Mexicocity2026