Cardinals come to Rams' rescue after playoff venue change

If the Los Angeles Rams defeat the Minnesota Vikings on Monday to advance to the NFL divisional playoffs, one of the Rams' NFC West rivals will deserve credit for the wild-card win.

The NFL's decision to move the Vikings-Rams game to State Farm Stadium, the home of the Arizona Cardinals in Glendale, Arizona, due to the Southern California wildfires sent the Rams organization scrambling to make last-minute arrangements for the impromptu road trip.

The Cardinals showed tremendous generosity to help out their division foe. They sent two of their 777 planes to Los Angeles on Friday afternoon to bring the Rams' entire traveling party — which included staff, families and even six dogs and two cats — to Glendale.

ESPN's Adam Schefter also reported that the Rams also have made themselves at home at the Cardinals' training facility in Tempe. The team's entire travel party comprises 450 people, according to The Athletic's Jourdan Rodrigue.

The magnitude of the Cards' gesture was not lost on the Rams brass. Team president Kevin Demoff went so far as to say the Rams could not properly prepare for Minnesota without Arizona's assistance.

"Many thanks to the Arizona Cardinals, Michael Bidwill and his family for jumping in to help ahead of Monday’s game," Demoff wrote on X. "We could not prepare, play or move our players and families without their help."

Many thanks to the @AZCardinals, Michael Bidwill and his family for jumping in to help ahead of Monday’s game. We could not prepare, play or move our players & families without their help. https://t.co/yW5PSgUolS
— Kevin Demoff (@kdemoff) January 10, 2025

The Rams had a constant reminder of the Southern California fires during practice on Thursday, as a new wildfire burned not far from the team's practice facility in Woodland Hills.

Demoff said he understood the reasons for relocating Monday's game from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, namely the importance to have resources fully focused on battling the fires.

"Heaven forbid a single home, car or human life was lost because some asset was diverted to SoFi Stadium," Demoff told reporters, "or that a fire fighter who has been working non-stop for 10 days had to stay on the front line to cover for a fire fighter who had to go to SoFi Stadium. Or heaven forbid a fire break out during the game and people get an evacuation notice on their phone and have to leave."

Practice today, area secure from Kenneth fire on the opposite side: pic.twitter.com/h7efA7J1ix
— Jourdan Rodrigue (@JourdanRodrigue) January 10, 2025

Cardinals come to Rams' rescue after playoff venue change to Arizona

By Joe Lago | 6:53 PM EST