Traveling to a foreign country can bring about various challenges. Add in two NFL teams and their traveling parties and the challenges become greater.
The NFL is taking its incredible product to South America for the first time, with the Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles facing off in São Paulo, Brazil. But players, particularly on the Eagles, have raised concerns about playing in South America’s largest country.
What Players Are Saying Concerns Them About Playing in Brazil
Eagles cornerback Darius Slay Jr., going into his 12th NFL season, was very adamant about his concerns about playing in Brazil.
Eagles CB Darius Slay is not looking forward to being in Brazil for the season opener. 🇧🇷 😬 pic.twitter.com/3R4WSg4oV8
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365)
Slay’s concerns are reasonable, especially going to a place where he and the Eagles have never been before for a game.
Many comments support Slay, with one person saying his friend goes to Brazil for work and has an armed guard the second he gets off the plane for the duration of his trip.
Another fan says that if both teams are traveling to play in Brazil, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell should have to go as well.
Both the Packers and Eagles endured at least nine-hour flights to São Paulo, with the Packers’ flight lasting nearly 11 hours and crossing multiple time zones.
“I’m like, ‘NFL, why would you all want to send us somewhere where the crime rate is this high?'” Slay said. “We’re out of the country, and so the first thing we’re thinking is something terrible could possibly happen. I’m going to be nowhere to be found. I’m going to be in the hotel chilling, minding my own business.”
Many commentators echoed Slay’s concerns regarding traveling internationally. Concerns surrounded the Zika Virus outbreak leading up to the Rio Olympics in 2016, and five years later, concerns were still prevalent surrounding COVID-19 leading up to the Tokyo Olympics.
The Eagles, as the home team Friday night, got a hotel closer to the stadium in São Paulo. Depending on heavy traffic, the Packers’ commute to the stadium could take up to 90 minutes to two hours.
The NFL has been traveling to play international games annually since 2007, with the first international game in 2005 in Mexico City. London has hosted at least one NFL game every season since 2007 and now hosts multiple games a season. Germany has been hosting NFL games every season since 2022.
Brazil is one of five NFL games being played internationally this season. London will host games in Weeks 5, 6, and 7, while Germany will host a game in Week 10.