One of the next steps in the expansion of the NFL's International Series may come with some considerable spotlight to open a season.

League officials are considering having an early week game held in China to serve as the kickoff to the 2018 regular season, reports Daniel Kaplan of SportsBusiness Journal.

Among the possibilities for such a matchup, Kaplan adds, are holding the game on either a Tuesday or Wednesday before the annual Thursday-night opener that follows.

Playing early in the week would allow any traveling teams the necessary time to get home and readjust before their respective Week 2 games.

A 2018 game in China is still yet to be made official, but recent reports have indicated that the Los Angeles Rams are set to host the division-rival San Francisco 49ers.