Brazil, Paris, and Player Safety in the NFL’s International Series

When the Philadelphia Eagles and the Green Bay Packers opened the 2024 NFL season in São Paulo, the headlines were about the players’ security briefings. Darius Slay and his team had been told, in his words, “not to leave the hotel.” The league’s first South American game was supposed to be a grand showcase, but instead turned into a lockdown. São Paulo’s government responded by deploying hundreds of police and escorting team buses. 

Two years later, the same story is playing out in Paris. The Saints and the Steelers are set to play the first regular-season NFL game in France on Sunday at Stade de France. Nationwide demonstrations over living costs and school conditions turned violent on October 17. French authorities reported about 550,000 protesters and at least 1,800 arrests nationwide, including 855 in the Paris region. On October 19, Paris police imposed overnight curfews around the Place de la République and Les Halles. Organizers have called for more protests the day before kickoff. Even so, the NFL says preparations are proceeding “as scheduled.” A league source has reportedly said moving the game “can be considered” if conditions worsen. The Saints arrived Monday and are staying in Versailles. Safety Justin Reid said players plan to stay “low-key” and out of the mix. 

Paris is not São Paulo, but the city the Saints and the Steelers are walking into is anything but calm. Masked groups have set cars, trash bins, and bicycles on fire, looted shops in the city’s tourist and shopping districts, and attacked public buildings. Police have answered with tear gas and water cannons and made thousands of arrests. The risk in Brazil was street crime; similarly, the risk in Paris is unpredictable civil unrest that can reach any neighborhood on short notice. In both cases, the NFL chose a venue, the players had no say in the choice, and the practical safety plan came down to telling employees to stay in their rooms. 

This raises legal questions the NFL should answer before its players play international games. An employer that controls where and when its workers perform has obligations to keep the workplace reasonably safe. An abroad road game stretches the “workplace” to include hotels, bus routes, and airports in foreign jurisdictions. Telling players to “stay in their hotels” does not provide sufficient protection. What role does the NFLPA have in approving an international site? What triggers should move or cancel a game, and who decides? Who bears the risk if a player is hurt in transit or at a team hotel? Fans buying nonrefundable travel on the league’s assurances have a stake in those answers too. 

The overarching question is whether the league has a transparent, objective safety protocol for international games. This includes defined security thresholds, a pre-selected backup site, NFLPA input, and clear communication to players and fans. The NFL wants to be, in the words of its international executive, a “true global sports property.” If the league’s international strategy is about growth, its business model needs better risk management. 

Sources:

The Associated Press, Paris Police Issue Curfew for Two Areas of French Capital Days Before Saints’ Game, WAFB (Oct. 19, 2026). 

The Canadian Press, Saints Players in Paris Say They’ll Steer Clear of Protest Hotspots Ahead of Steelers Game, TSN (Oct. 19, 2026). 

FOX 8 Staff, NFL Says Saints-Steelers Game in Paris Still On, as French Police Arrest 1,800 in Violent Protests, WAFB (Oct. 18, 2026). 

ESPN, Sao Paulo Beefs Up Security for Philadelphia Eagles-Green Bay Packers Brazil Game as Players Raise Concerns, CBS News Philadelphia (Sept. 2024). 

David Murphy, Why Are the Eagles Playing in Brazil?, Phila. Inquirer (Sept. 6, 2024).