From afar, it’s easy to think of NFL players as living the high life. They’re paid millions of dollars, after all, to play a game. But sometimes the league can deal a team (or, in this case, two teams) an annoying hand. Consider the Kansas City Chiefs home game against the Miami Dolphins taking place in Germany rather than Missouri as the perfect example of that reality.

KC receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling addressed that reality during a CBS Sports interview and shared some rather candid takes. The receiver, for example, discussed the importance of good toilet paper, and how that would provide some of the comforts of home while overseas.

Yes, you read that correctly. There was an interview answer about toilet paper.

But, when you push beyond that unusual topic of conversation, MVS did have some valuable insights to share. Even for a group of professional football players, changing up the routine provides a challenge.

MVS Is Relying on Charmin, Even While Abroad

As any frequent traveler knows, sometimes you just miss the comforts of home. When you’re a big-time pro athlete, though, there are ways to mitigate those feelings.

In Valdes-Scantling’s case, that meant some unconventional packing. In a video, which was shared on Instagram, the receiver is seen trying to squeeze multiple packs of Charmin toilet paper into his duffel bag. He touched on the same topic during a CBS Sports interview.

“Charmin’s getting me right for my trip over to Germany,” Valdes-Scantling told Bryan DeArdo. “Just keeping my routine the same with their Ultra Soft Smooth Tear toilet paper. Going over to a different part of the world that you’ve never seen before, you just never know what to expect. Being able to have Charmin bless me with that and keeping my routine the same, I’m grateful that we’ve partnered up and I’m excited about that.”

Adjusting While Abroad Is a Challenge

Given that Valdes-Scantling has “partnered up” with Charmin, it’s easy to write off his quotes as little more than a thinly veiled bit of product placement. The receiver, however, did still touch on a very real challenge.

Pro athletes are largely creatures of habit. Between practices, team meals and uniform game times, things tend to follow a regular schedule. Traveling to the other side of the ocean, however, can throw that off.

“Yeah, it sucks,” the Chiefs receiver said during the same CBS interview. “I mean, obviously it sucks that we have to travel nine hours for a home game when Arrowhead is right down the street. But obviously we do have other fans that are all over the world, not just in the United States. So it gives them the opportunity to see some of their favorite players play.”

And, on the subject of that adjustment, there are two schools of thought. Some teams, like the Miami Dolphins, travel earlier in the week and get situated in a foreign country. Others, like the Chiefs, try to keep to a regular preparation and fly in closer to game day.

“Longer plane ride, so you got to make sure you handle that part right,” head coach Andy Reid explained. “It’s a different time zone by a few hours. Got to make sure you handle that part and get some rest on the plane. We take everything into consideration from hydration on, and then how we practice when we get there.”

Now add those realities—a long trip, unfamiliar surroundings, potential practice adjustments, an extra media circus—onto the challenge of a standard NFL game, and things get tricky. And that’s without even factoring in the fact that the Dolphins have an explosive offense, capable of turning any contest into a blowout.

That isn’t to make excuses for professional athletes or say that we should feel bad for their “burden” of playing a football game in Germany. Valdes-Scantling’s silly toilet paper quote, however, does provide a good reminder that there are all sorts of overlooked challenges ahead of an International Series matchup. From pillows and toilet paper to jet lag and long travel days, things are simply different. Pro athletes, for all of their fame and fortune, are still human beings.

As football fans, we can understand the challenges of playing in the snow or during a driving rainstorm. If traveling abroad brings its own set of challenges, why doesn’t it get the same grace?