The Big Lead

NFL should move Rams-Vikings Wild Card game amid Los Angeles wildfires

By Sam Westmoreland

Jan 5, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (11) reacts at SoFi Stadium as the Seattle Seahawks face off versus Los Angeles Rams Week 18 matchup. Mandatory Credit: William Navarro-Imagn Images
Jan 5, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (11) reacts at SoFi Stadium as the Seattle Seahawks face off versus Los Angeles Rams Week 18 matchup. Mandatory Credit: William Navarro-Imagn Images / William Navarro-Imagn Images
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The NFL is currently monitoring the wildfires that are decimating Los Angeles and the surrounding area, to determine the potential impact on Monday night's Wild Card matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and Minnesota Vikings, according to ESPN's Lindsey Thiry.

Three separate wildfires are currently burning in the Los Angeles area on Wednesday, stretching from the coast as far inland as Pasadena. 70,000 people have been evacuated so far, but that number continues to grow.

The NFL needs to do the right thing, and find another venue for Monday night's game. Even if SoFi isn't directly impacted or threatened by the blazes, playing in the conditions currently present in Los Angeles presents both a danger to players and fans, and is also a bad look for the league as a whole.

According to Thiry, as of Wednesday morning, the air quality index (which is used to measure pollution) in Inglewood, where SoFi is located, was 281. 150 is the level considered to be "very unhealthy," in which prolonged exposure can lead to both short and long term health problems.

Expecting athletes to perform in those conditions, even if the fires are under control by then, is an absurd ask for them. It poses a risk to their futures, and their ability to perform in the moment. Why put your athletes at risk like that?

On top of that, playing a football game while the city burns around you feels like a profoundly bad, insensitive look for the league. We're looking at what could wind up being the most expensive wildfire in U.S. history when all is said and done, with thousands of structures damaged or destroyed around the city. It's not the right time to host a meaningful playoff game in the city.

There are some viable replacement options for sites; Las Vegas and Arizona are both relatively close by, and you might be able to swing something at the old Oakland Coliseum if you were really wanting to keep it in California.

But this is a moment that goes beyond football, beyond the monetary hit of losing a home playoff game to play in a neutral site. It's about keeping players and fans safe, and conveying the seriousness of the situation in Los Angeles.

Moving the game might be a lot of work, but it's the right thing to do.

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