The NFL has heard dire warnings about the playing surface at its upcoming game in Brazil and the potential injury risk to players, and it has reportedly deemed those risks acceptable.
According to a report by Mark Maske of Front Office Sports (FOS), the league is “looking forward” to playing the Ravens-Cowboys game at Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday. It has a “plan in place” if the field has problems.
Concerns have emerged about the playing surface as the game date gets closer. Primarily, the complaints about the field have come from soccer players who know it well.
“You don’t even need to talk about the field, it’s there for everyone to see,” Flamengo goalkeeper Agustín Rossi said, according to A to Z Sports. “The way we play, it’s unbelievable that we’re playing on a field like this. Both penalty areas are bad. … If you look at it, there are bumps everywhere. There’s still going to be an NFL game here during the international break. After that game, I hope the field is in better shape.”
Another Flamengo player, Giorgian De Arrascaeta, said, “We’ve been struggling a lot in these last few games, and the field keeps getting worse. It’s getting harder and harder to control the ball. We have to try to play quickly. If we want to be champions, we have to find a solution. With the team we have, we can’t be playing on a field like this.”
Flamengo isn’t the only team looking to win a championship. The Ravens and Cowboys also have their sights set on championships, and a shotty field that endangers their multi-million-dollar players is not part of that plan.
However, Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones doesn’t seem overly concerned.
“We’ll look at that, and I know it’s the utmost concern to the league and the teams playing down there. We’ll obviously stay informed as we look at it, and it’s front of mind now that we’ve gotten past the Washington Commanders,” Jones told the Dallas Morning News.
The NFL does have precedent for canceling international games. In 2018, the league moved a game from Mexico City to Los Angeles because of concerns about the playing surface. Right or wrong, the league doesn’t appear to believe those concerns warrant canceling the Brazil game.