The Los Angeles Rams and Kansas City Chiefs may meet in the Super Bowl in Atlanta in February, which is why Monday night’s game is such a big deal. As an added twist, these two squads have long been slated to face off in Mexico City.
It’s not often that the NFL’s international games end up being marquee matchups, but in this case, Mexico City was set to host two of the league’s elite in a crucial cross-conference game. That is, until Tuesday, when rumblings over field conditions at El Azteca Stadium began to grow. Some players even threatened to not play out of concerns for their safety and the risk of injury on an unkempt field.
If Monday night’s game is played in Mexico City, a number of Rams and Chiefs players are now strongly considering not playing in that game on that messy surface, per sources. “It’s not fair to risk our health,” one prominent player said today.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 13, 2018
Not long after, the league made an official decision on the game, announcing they would move it from Mexico City to Los Angeles due to those field conditions.
Chiefs-Rams game to move from Mexico City to Los Angeles due to field conditions pic.twitter.com/vWmpzS9lOr
— Michael Signora (@NFLfootballinfo) November 13, 2018
It’s a not insignificant decision from the league to move the game, given the need now to offer reimbursements for tickets and all the other commitments they make in bringing a game to an international host city — not to mention fans that book travel to attend the game. However, the league determined that the amount of rain coupled with the numerous events there created dangerous conditions, making a game on this surface a risk to player safety.
The Rams will now host the game and will announce ticket information shortly for Monday night at the Coliseum.
