Vikings vs. Rams wild card playoff game could be in jeopardy with massive Pacific Palisades wildfires

The Minnesota Vikings are set to play the Los Angeles Rams on Monday night in the final game of the wild card round. The Vikings have to travel out to Los Angeles for the game after losing 31-9 to the Detroit Lions, knocking them down to the five seed. The game being on Monday night […]

Tyler Forness — NFL & College Football News Writer
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The Minnesota Vikings are set to play the Los Angeles Rams on Monday night in the final game of the wild card round. The Vikings have to travel out to Los Angeles for the game after losing 31-9 to the Detroit Lions, knocking them down to the five seed.

The game being on Monday night isn't a new thing. This will be the fourth scheduled Monday night game in the playoffs with the fifth game being played on a Monday. 

  • 2021: Los Angeles Rams 34, Arizona 11
  • 2022: Dallas 31, Tampa Bay 14
  • 2023: Buffalo 31, Pittsburgh 17 (postponed from Sunday)
  • 2023: Tampa Bay 32, Philadelphia 9
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NFLPA monitoring fires in Los Angeles

Even though the game is set to be played on Monday night at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, there are some concerns about playing that game on Monday. 

The Pacific Palisades wildfires are currently burning in Southern California, including in Los Angeles. It isn't just about player safety from the fires themselves, but also the air quality. Unlike U.S. Bank Stadium where they can close the doors, SoFi Stadium is an open air stadium that has a roof. It's even had a lightning delay while having a roof.

The NFLPA is currently monitoring the situation and released a statement on the situation.

There are other options for the game and a decision is made easier because the game is on Monday night rather than Saturday or Sunday. They could choose to go to a nearby stadium in Los Angeles or Arizona for a neutral site game, plus there is a chance the game could come to Minnesota, but that would be unfair for the Rams who earned a home playoff game.

Nothing is for certain right now, but it's noteworthy that the fires are continuing and the air quality is going to play a major factor. We will continue updating this developing story as more information comes out.

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