The Los Angeles Rams and Minnesota Vikings are set to play in the NFL Wild Card round on Monday, January 13, but deadly wildfires in California might have an impact on the game.
At least two people have been killed and more than 1,000 structures have been destroyed thanks to a trio of wildfires near Los Angeles. The blazes have forced more than 80,000 people from their homes, with wind gusts fueling the fires and causing unsafe air quality across the region.
The wildfires could very well impact Monday’s wild card game, set for SoFi Stadium between the Rams and Vikings. As of now, the NFL has stated that it’s monitoring the situation and will continue to communicate with both teams.
NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy on the wildfires in the Los Angeles area:
"The NFL continues to closely monitor developments and will remain in contact with both clubs and the NFLPA."
Vikings and Rams are scheduled to play Monday at Sofi Stadium.
— Eric Edholm (@Eric_Edholm) January 8, 2025
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Delaying the game is likely not an option with the NFL’s strict playoff format, so a possible solution if the wildfires remain a problem would be to move the game to a different venue. For now, however, the Rams and Vikings game is still scheduled to kick off on Monday.
UPDATE: The NFL released an updated statement about its contingency plan for Rams vs. Vikings in case the playoff game needs to be moved. If necessary, both squads will venture to the Arizona Cardinals’ home stadium in Glendale, Arizona. It would still be played on Monday night.
