Roger Goodell talks about NFL’s decision to move Rams-Vikings playoff game amid LA wildfires

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and the league made the last second decision to move the Los Angeles Rams and Minnesota Vikings playoff game from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California to State Farm Stadium in Arizona due to the wildfires in Southern California.

The move came at short notice as the decision was made on Thursday. Due to the game being played on Monday instead of the weekend, the teams had an extra day to pack up, get out of dodge and head south to play the game while emergency officials struggled to extinguish the infernos in the Los Angeles area .

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NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, left, speaks with referee John Hussey before an NFL wild card playoff football game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Minnesota Vikings, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Goodell talked about the unprecedented move in an interview with ESPN.

“What the people of Los Angeles are going through, the devastation, the loss, the heartbreak we all feel for them, we knew the game couldn’t be played there on Thursday,” he said. “Public safety and compromising any of that was not something we do. And we wanted to make sure the focus of the first responders was taking care of the people who are struggling so much out there.

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NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell looks on before an NFL wild card playoff football game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Minnesota Vikings, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

“When we made that decision, the league is coming together. We have preparations or what we call contingency plans that include two stadiums every week, and this was a perfect fit as far as the location for the Los Angeles Rams’ fans, and I” I’m proud of to say 45,000 of them made the trip over here, which is just extraordinary, everybody came together, and Michael Bidwell and the Cardinals are at the top of the list.

Rams fans really made that trip down to Glendale, Arizona. The organization even had the field painted with Rams colors and the large LA logo in the center of the field.

Before the game, the Rams were among 12 teams in the Los Angeles and Anaheim area to announce a combined $8 million donation to those affected by the wildfires.

Los Angeles Rams fans hold a sign before an NFL wild card playoff football game against the Minnesota Vikings, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

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The money must go to support victims and those who fight the fires. The American Red Cross, Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, California Fire Foundation, Eaton Canyon Fire Relief and Recovery Fund, World Central Kitchen, California Community Foundation Wildlife Recovery Fund, Team Rubicon and several other local animal rescue organizations were designated as recipients of donations.

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