NFL would cancel Paris game if unsafe due to riots, Steelers’ Rodgers says

What the report says

The NFL’s first regular-season game in Paris is set to go ahead on Sunday only if conditions remain safe, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers said on Friday, according to Al Jazeera’s report based on Reuters. The Steelers are scheduled to play the New Orleans Saints at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, near Paris, while France is dealing with protests and other unrest that have raised security concerns.

Rodgers said he believed the league was closely monitoring the situation and would not proceed if there were serious safety risks. Al Jazeera reported that the Paris match has been overshadowed by nationwide demonstrations, with the French government also tightening restrictions on protests after unrest in recent days. The U.S. State Department separately advised Americans in Paris to avoid demonstrations and remain alert.

The build-up to the game has also been affected by severe weather. The Steelers canceled a planned training session because of bad conditions, and an NFL fan event in Paris was also called off. The Saints, meanwhile, have been training in Versailles. The game matters because it is the NFL’s first regular-season contest in the French capital, a sign of the league’s ongoing push to expand its international profile despite local disruptions.