The Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints are set to meet at Stade de France on Sunday for the NFL’s latest international game, but the lead-up has been dominated by questions about security and travel planning rather than the matchup itself.
France has been dealing with significant civil unrest in recent weeks, prompting the Steelers to cancel a planned fan event in Paris over safety concerns. The NFL, however, is pushing ahead with its own league-organized event and the game as scheduled. A league vice president has said the NFL is “vigilant” about security for the France matchup and remains confident in its plans.
The two teams have taken very different approaches to getting there. The Saints have already been in France for several days. The Steelers, by contrast, are reportedly planning to fly overnight on a red-eye departing Thursday night, arriving much closer to kickoff.
There is a case for the Steelers’ approach: staying home longer allows for more practice time, may be less disruptive to players’ sleep schedules than an extended stay abroad, and gives the team more certainty that the game will actually go forward before committing to travel amid the unrest.
Still, the plan has drawn criticism on social media, with comparisons being drawn to the Los Angeles Rams’ trip to Melbourne, Australia earlier this season. The Rams were criticized for flying to Australia close to game time and lost to a San Francisco 49ers team that had been in the country much longer. T.J. Watt’s wife has also publicly questioned the NFL’s push toward the Paris game, breaking from the league’s messaging on the matchup.
Kickoff between the Steelers and Saints is set for 9:30 a.m. ET on Sunday at Stade de France in Paris.
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