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Los Angeles wildfires: NFL moves Vikings vs. Rams Wild Card game to Arizona

ns_headshot_2024-clearby:Nick Schultz•about 14 hours•

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Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The NFL is moving Monday’s Wild Card game between the Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Rams to Arizona, the league announced Thursday. Wildfires in the Los Angeles area forced the decision, which was part of the contingency plans in place.

The league previously announced State Farm Stadium would be the site of the matchup if it needed to be moved, and the situation warranted such a decision. Fires continue to sweep through California, and the death toll was at six as of Thursday night.

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ABC and ESPN will still broadcast the game, which was originally set to be at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. It will stay in its 8 p.m. ET time slot, as well.

“In the interest of public safety, Monday’s Vikings-Rams Wild Card game has been moved from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA to State Farm Stadium, the home of the Arizona Cardinals, the NFL announced today,” the league said in a statement.

“The decision was made in consultation with public officials, the participating clubs an the NFLPA. The game will be televised on ESPN, ABC, ESPN+ and ESPN Deportes at its scheduled 8:00 p.m. ET time.”

Per ESPN, the Rams said no players or staff members were impacted by the wildfires, which continue to rage in the Los Angeles area. The team’s headquarters is located in Woodland Hills, a neighborhood located 13 miles north of the Pacific Palisades, which was hit especially hard by the wildfires this week.

As the Rams make sure they stay safe with the rest of the Los Angeles citizens, they continue to prepare for the playoff game against the Vikings. Rams head coach Sean McVay recently shared his thoughts about playing on Monday night instead of Saturday or Sunday.

“I think it’s good. It allows us to have a good week of preparation and maybe some opportunities to do some things while keeping guys fresh that maybe you wouldn’t have in previous experiences,” McVay said, per KTLA. “Being as fresh and as healthy as possible going into this tournament is really important to us, especially for some of the guys that have accumulated a bunch of experience or a bunch of wear and tear on their bodies when you did have a week six bye.”

Brian Jones contributed to this report.