The NFL is planning through the possibility of having to move Sunday night’s game between Kansas City and Tampa Bay due to Hurricane Ian, going with U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis as an alternate host site if the game does have to be moved.
Ian made landfall in South Florida today, and is projected to slowly make its way up the East Coast into the weekend.
Upwards of a foot of rain is projected in the Tampa-St. Petersburg area from the storm.
League EVP Jeff Miller didn’t offer a timetable for when a decision would be made regarding moving the game, only saying the NFL will not do anything to “negatively impact public safety efforts in the affected areas.”
The Buccaneers have relocated players, coaches and some family members to the Miami area, with the team practicing at the Miami Dolphins facility.
“We can’t control the outside forces,” Tampa Bay coach Todd Bowles said. “You know, our thoughts are with the city of Tampa right now, but where we have to play … hopefully it is Tampa and everything is fine; that means we’re not damaged too much. But if we have to go play elsewhere, you know, we just have to focus and lock in. Nobody’s going to feel sorry for us, you know, so we’ve got to be ready to play.”