The NFL is steeped in historic rivalry.Down the years, some have been forged by events that have caused bad blood between two teams, while many arise due to the frequency with which franchises play each other.Many NFL rivalries are built on divisional play, not geographical locationsGettyPurely geographic rivalries, though, are rare in the NFL.League policy, in fact, requires any teams based in the same metropolitan area to play in opposite conferences.In the event of any relocation causing two teams from the same conference to share a metropolitan area, one of the two must move to the other conference.Such a rule means that, unlike many other sports leagues, teams located close to one another don’t play nearly as often as some would like.But that could soon change, according to Jerry Jones.The Dallas Cowboys owner watched his team face the Houston Texas — who play just 226 miles away in the same state — for only the eighth time since 2002.Before that game, which was won 34-30 by the Cowboys on Sunday, Jones revealed he’d like to play the Texans more often, and that new rivalries could soon be born based on location.Jerry Jones confirms geographical rivalries ‘in the mix’ for NFL“You can add that in the mix, and I’m not saying it’s not in the mix,” Jones said ahead of the clash, during an appearance on 105.3 The Fan.“It’s just that other things come up and you have a different reason for the scheduling.“We obviously have a rotation involved that is the best as far as fair, complete competition year-in, year-out, around the entire league.Jones has teased the NFL is exploring adding more local rivalriesGetty“But it’s certainly something that I would look at. And I wouldn’t just narrow it down to Dallas and Houston.“I’d look at the entire league, you saw a game on TV (Thursday) night between Cleveland and Pittsburgh.“They’re in the same division, but those kinds of proximities, those kinds of ‘my town against your town, and who’s the best town?’ I think is a fundamental of our game of football. ‘My town against your town. My school against your school.’“That’s a big part of it. It’s hard to emulate anyplace but in the United States to get that rolling.”Geographic rivalries should be next step in NFL expansionJones isn’t the only one keen to see more geographical rivalries in the NFL.In fact, talkSPORT’s Brian T. Smith and Will Gavin believe annual rivalry games should be implemented.The Bears and Packers are fierce rivals, despite being 210 miles awayGettyThe Cowboys and Eagles, who play 1,565 miles away, are also bitter rivalsGettyThe NFL has long been about expansion, with a 17th game added in recent seasons.An 18th isn’t out of the question, and geographic rivalries could become a regular fixture because of it.“Watching the Texans and Cowboys on Sunday, that was an amazing atmosphere,” Smith said, suggesting the NFL would be ‘better served’ emphasising rivalry games over further international expansion, during an appearance on talkSPORT’s Inside the NFL podcast.“That should be every year… that was more like college football. That’s why people in America love the NFL.The Cowboys and Texans would be an obvious geographical rivalryGettyNFL Weekly Newsletter - SIGN UP!talkSPORT is your home for NFL in the UK as we launch our biggest year of coverage yet!2026 promises to be an epic year for NFL on talkSPORT – and we want you to join us for the ride.MORE INFO & SIGN-UP HERE!This season will be our biggest ever with live commentary of 90+ games, including behind-the-scenes access to international games and all three London fixtures, plus bumper coverage of Super Bowl 61 at SoFi Stadium.Exclusive interviews, hard-hitting opinion, latest front-office drama and top breaking news – all delivered straight to your inbox each week.“There’s not a perfect answer, but if the NFL’s going to fully expand, they need to get it right.”While not every team has a clear geographical rival, the idea of trying to create a new dynamic for an 18th game would throw up some interesting clashes.The New York Giants and Jets would be obvious, as would the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers.The Baltimore Ravens and Washington Commanders would be must-see, as would a regular game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles.It’s time, perhaps, for the NFL to embrace geography, and give the fans what they’re craving.