The numbers behind NFL travel
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Four NFL teams this season will travel more miles than the distance around the Earth.
The intrigue: The Los Angeles Chargers, who don't have a game outside the United States, will travel the most miles of any team this season.
- They're followed by the Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers. The Patriots are the only team among them traveling overseas for a game.
- Nine teams are traveling internationally for games, the first being the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers game in Brazil on Friday night.
By the numbers: Chris Smith, the Chargers' equipment manager for the past 35 years, told Axios the figures behind their road trips.
⏱️ Packing time: 1 week
Players pack their own bag and equipment staff double-check behind players to ensure everything they need is included.
- As the season rolls into the winter months, they have to add cold weather gear like coats, hand warmers and arm sleeves.
🧳 Weight of an equipment bag: 18 pounds
Teams take at least 53 bags — one for every rostered player — and between 10-16 additional bags for practice squad players.
💪 Weight of all team equipment: 15,000 pounds
The weight increases to about 20,000 pounds for cold weather games.
- Teams must report the weight of their belongings to airlines for safety reasons.
✈️ Time to unload and unpack: 3 hours
It can take up to three hours to unload the plane and unpack in a visiting stadium.
🏈 Number of team balls: 27
This includes 24 game balls and 3 kicking balls.
- The weight of each ball has to be between 12.5-13 PSI
🚌 Buses and trucks needed: 10
For the transportation of all players, coaches and equipment once the team lands in the host city.
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