In just over a week, the Steelers and Saints will play the first NFL game in Paris. Although the league recently said it plans to continue amid ongoing local unrest, the situation appears to be worsening.
On Saturday, more than 1,200 arrests were made after a “escalation of violence” which happened with about 550,000 citizens who protested.
The demonstrations, fueled by concerns about school conditions and the cost of living, have lasted for weeks.
Said the NFL on Wednesday: “We are excited about the first game of the regular season in Paris, and preparations continue according to plan for NFL events and the game at the Stade de France on October 25. As we do for every NFL game, including our international games, we work closely with local authorities and partners on all operational and security matters. We look forward to welcoming fans to Paris later this month.”
If the NFL is going to move from Paris to New Orleans (the Saints are the home game for the Week 7 contest), a decision may have to be made soon.
Obviously, the NFL has a very strong interest in continuing with all of its international games. Then there’s the fact that the game is set for a standalone broadcast window at 9:30 a.m. ET on the NFL Network.
When the Chiefs-Rams game was moved from Mexico City to LA in 2018 due to poor field conditions, the game time (Monday night) did not change. If the NFL pulls the plug on the Paris game and plays in New Orleans, would the game start at 9:30am ET?
It is also possible, in theory, to play the Steelers-Saints game in London if either Tottenham Hotspur Stadium or Wembley Stadium are available. Either way, any change in location would become a potential logistical nightmare for the NFL, teams and fans who have made plans to travel to France.
That result is still better than NFL personnel, team personnel or NFL fans caught in the middle of the mess that continues to play out in Paris.