This story was originally published by Dead Spin
The NFL will open their season next week with games on Thursday and Friday.
After the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs clash on Thursday Night Football to open the season, the Green Bay Packers will face the Philadelphia Eagles in Sao Paolo, Brazil.
Traveling the world can be unsafe and unpredictable. That goes for any place, not just Brazil. But after an Eagles team meeting about safety in Brazil, star wide receiver A.J. Brown will be staying put in his hotel room.
“We had a meeting yesterday with a whole bunch of don’t do’s,” Brown told the media. “I’m just trying to go down there, win a football game, and come back home.”
We’ve heard of “do’s and don’ts,” but it sounds like Brown has termed a new phrase. “Don’t do’s.”
A reporter inquired about the specific instructions they received. And it sounds like they won’t be doing much while out of the country.
“A lot, honestly,” Brown said. “Things that we would normally do here, as simple as just walking down the street with your phone in your hand.”
This isn’t the first time that the safety concern of playing in Brazil has popped up.
Online rumors circled about the Eagles and Packers not being allowed to wear the color green during the game due to gang affiliations. Packers running back Josh Jacobs even acknowledged those rumors on Chris Long’s “Green Light Podcast.”
However, that rumor was quickly dismissed by an NFL spokesperson, and Jacobs apologized for spreading misinformation on Long’s show.
Despite this, there’s now no secret that the Eagles are taking extra measures for safety and security in Brazil after this team meeting. And afterwards, Brown decided that he’d just be spending all of his time in the hotel room.
“It was me talking to them and asking a lot of questions,” Brown explained. “You know that was my first initial thought, but after hearing all the stuff, I’m probably gonna be in my room.”
That’s probably not a bad plan. But this also has not been the best start to publicizing the NFL’s arrival in Brazil. While it will be great for fans to have an additional Friday game on the Week 1 slate, there’s now been multiple instances of star players speaking about safety concerns.
The NFL’s mission is growing the game. That mission comes with serious financial benefits. Here’s to hoping everyone involved stays safe in Brazil.
