The NFL has a plan in place in case the Bucs and Chiefs prime time game needs a new venue thanks to Hurricane Ian
The NFL has announced that if the Bucs and Chiefs can not play in Raymond James Stadium on Sunday, the game would be moved to a neutral site and that site would be U.S. Bank Stadium, home of the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings are in London this week taking on the New Orleans Saints.
NFL executive vice president Jeff Miller said Wednesday, “This is only a contingency but we will remain nimble and adaptable.”
Miller also said that there is no timetable as to when an official decision will be made and that the league will not, “negatively impact public safety efforts in the affected areas.” If the game is indeed moved, it will still be played on Sunday night.
Many Bucs fans will remember a 2017 game between the Bucs and the Miami Dolphins in week one that was postponed due to Hurricane Irma. That caused both teams to have a week one bye, making the game up in week eleven when they were each scheduled to have their bye week.
The Miami Dolphins have allowed the Bucs to use their facilities for practice as Hurricane Ian approached the area since they are in Cincinnati for their Thursday Night matchup with the Bengals. However, the Bucs did not have access to meeting and film rooms while there so they had to do that prep work elsewhere.
With Hurricane Ian an ever changing situation, we will keep you posted as more news becomes available and official regarding the status of the game and its location. For now, it appears that the game will still be at Ray Jay but it’s a fluid situation that will be monitored and adjusted as needed in order to ensure the safety of the players, coaches, and fans in the area.
*UPDATE*
Bucs announced they will play the game at home inside Raymond James Stadium.
“Our thoughts and prayers remain with the many thousands in the Southwest Florida region who have been severely impacted by Hurricane Ian. We are also very thankful that the Tampa Bay area was spared the most damaging consequences of this powerful storm. We have informed the NFL, after consulting with local and state agencies, that we are ready to play Sunday night’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Raymond James Stadium as originally scheduled.”