The NFL came up with a contingency plan this week in case Sunday’s game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers needed to be moved to a new location, but that will not be necessary.
The NFL announced on Thursday that the Chiefs and Bucs have been cleared to play at Raymond James Stadium. Tampa was fortunately spared from the worst of Hurricane Ian, which decimated many areas along the West coast of Florida when it made landfall on Wednesday. The biggest concern for the NFL was taking resources away from the state in order to host a game, but officials have given the league the green light.
The Tampa Sports Authority informed the NFL Thursday they have all the resources in terms of emergency services, law enforcement, etc. to host Sunday night's game between the Bucs and Chiefs at RJS. It's up to the league now to make the final decision.
— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) September 29, 2022
Had the NFL been forced to move the game, it would have been played at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minnesota. We floated another location that would have made a lot of sense, but the Bucs will be hosting the game as originally planned.
The Bucs relocated their practices this week to Miami, which was not in the direct path of Hurricane Ian. The Dolphins flew to Cincinnati early for their Thursday night game against the Bengals.
