Minneapolis confirms 'initial discussions' of Bucs vs Chiefs due to Hurricane Ian
It's yet to be decided if the Sunday night game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Kansas City Chiefs will be moved from Tampa, but the City of Minneapolis has confirmed that the possibility of hosting the game at U.S. Bank Stadium is a real one – and NFL Network's Ian Rapoport says Minneapolis will be the place if the game is moved.
"The city has had some initial discussions about the potential of having this game in town Sunday," a city spokesperson told Bring Me The Sports, adding that traffic plans around the stadium would be similar to a Vikings game if Sunday Night Football is indeed relocated.
U.S. Bank Stadium is available because the Vikings play against the New Orleans Saints in London on Sunday.
Uncertainty exists because Hurricane Ian, a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 155 mph, is battering the west coast of Florida, with the center of the storm expected to make landfall south of Tampa. The National Weather Service expects catastrophic damage from wind, rain and storm surge.
A source told Bring Me The Sports' Jonathan Harrison that security staff at U.S. Bank Stadium have been made aware of the situation and schedules are being made in the event the game does come to Minneapolis.
NFL Network's Jeff Darlington reported Monday that U.S. Bank Stadium is a possible option for the Sunday night game between the two teams from the 2020 Super Bowl if the matchup is moved.
"NFL continues to monitor storm’s path," Darlington reported Tuesday night. "For those unfamiliar with Tampa Bay, the scary part is, a hurricane that hits just north of the bay can mean devastating storm surge. Hurricane that hits just south (current projection) could mean less surge. So much still unknown."
The NFL confirmed to the Star Tribune making contingency plans is always under consideration and that a formal decision could come as late as Friday.
The Sunday night game features quarterbacks Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes in what would be a rematch of the 2021 Super Bowl that saw Brady and the Bucs beat the Chiefs 31-9.
The last time Brady played at U.S. Bank Stadium was February 2018, when the Eagles beat Brady's Patriots in the Super Bowl. Mahomes has never played at U.S. Bank Stadium.
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