NFL addresses troubling rumors about upcoming game in Brazil

Nov 10, 2022; Munich, Germany; NFL commissioner Roger Goodell reacts during an NFL Flag Football community event at the FC Bayern Campus. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The NFL has issued a response to the talk that players need to be concerned for their safety when the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers face off in Brazil later this year.

The Eagles will “host” Green Bay on Sept. 6 at Corinthians Arena in São Paulo, Brazil. Packers running back Josh Jacobs discussed the game during an appearance on the latest episode of the “Green Light with Chris Long” podcast, which was released on Thursday.

When asked what he is most excited about for the game in Brazil, Jacobs expressed some serious concerns. The two-time Pro Bowl back said the NFL has warned players not to wear green in São Paulo due to the color’s significance to local gangs. Jacobs also indicated that players will be told not to leave their team hotels and could be accompanied by armored vehicles when they need to. You can read the full comments here.

Either Jacobs misunderstood what he was told, or the NFL did not want him going public with the information. On Friday, the league issued a response and essentially denied everything that Jacobs said. NFL spokesperson Michael Signora told Jeff Neiburg of the Philadelphia Inquirer that “you will see a stadium full of fans wearing the green of the Eagles and the green of the Packers.” Signora also said Jacobs’ claims about armored vehicles were “not true.”

There had already been talk that the Eagles and Packers might not wear green for the Brazil game, but that was for a reason that had nothing to do with local gangs. Either way, green is the primary color of both franchises, so there will be plenty of green in and around the stadium.

What may have happened is the NFL urged players to exercise caution in Brazil, which would hardly be a surprise for an international game.