The NFL is standing firm: Sunday's Saints-Steelers matchup in Paris will kick off as scheduled, and according to league executives, there was never any real debate about pulling the plug.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, NFL Executive Vice President Peter O'Reilly made it clear that relocating or postponing the game was never a serious consideration, even as France grapples with some of its worst civil unrest in years. O'Reilly did acknowledge that security around the event will be beefed up significantly.
"There's nothing more important from our standpoint than team security, fan security, everybody involved in this game," O'Reilly said, via Mike Garafolo.
That explanation didn't sit well with plenty of fans, who took to social media to accuse the league of prioritizing revenue over player safety. One X user fired off, "Except money. Money is more important than the team or the fans. Disgusting." Another wrote, "Joke. Poll the players and coaches and let's see if they want these games. It's gonna take a death or serious injury in a foreign country to stop this." A third simply said, "Money! Money is 100% more important to them than security."
The unrest in Paris stems from student-led demonstrations that began over deteriorating school conditions, rising living costs and declining public services. On October 17, 2026, those protests escalated dramatically, with masked rioters smashing windows, looting businesses, torching vehicles and damaging public property across central Paris. Police responded with tear gas and crowd-control measures as clashes spread to other French cities.
Authorities reported roughly 2,400 arrests nationwide over the weekend, including 855 in the Paris region. Officers and firefighters were among those injured. By October 20, officials had renewed overnight curfews in parts of the capital and announced a major security operation ahead of additional demonstrations expected Saturday.
Despite the chaos, the Saints have already touched down in Paris, and the league has distributed a safety map for fans attending the game. The NFL's decision has drawn sharp criticism, with some calling the Paris game plan incredibly stupid given the circumstances.
For now, the league is betting that heightened security and a commitment to the international series will be enough to keep everyone safe. Whether that bet pays off — or backfires spectacularly — remains to be seen when the ball is kicked off on Sunday.
