NFL would cancel Paris game if unsafe due to riots, Steelers’ Rodgers says

The NFL would have scrapped its first-ever regular-season game in Paris, set for Sunday, if conditions were unsafe amid France's civil unrest, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers said on Friday, as reported by Al Jazeera and Reuters.

The Steelers face the New Orleans Saints at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis on Sunday, October 25 — about 10km from where protests are expected on Saturday. France has experienced some of its worst urban unrest in years, and President Emmanuel Macron tightened restrictions on protests on Thursday amid fears Saturday's demonstrations could turn violent.

Rodgers, a four-time NFL MVP, said he was confident the game would go ahead as planned. 'I definitely think that the NFL is alert to what's going on,' he told a news conference on Friday. 'This game means a lot to the NFL. If it was unsafe, then I'm sure we wouldn't be here.'

The US State Department issued a security alert on Thursday night urging its citizens to avoid the protest areas, and cautioned Americans in Paris for the NFL game to exercise caution and stay aware.

The unrest is not the only thing disrupting the build-up. Storm Austen forced the Steelers to cancel their Friday training session after landing in France that morning, their news conference was moved, and the NFL cancelled Friday's 'NFL Experience Paris' fan event because of the weather. The Saints, who arrived in France on Monday, have been practicing in Versailles.