The NFL announced the decision on Tuesday afternoon to move Week 11 Monday night matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and Kansas City Chiefs from Estadio Azteca in Mexico City to the Los Angeles Coliseum due to poor field conditions.
It was a move that quickly reached by the league that apparently featured more factors at play as to why the NFL decided to go in that direction. Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report is reporting that the potential boycotting of players from both teams from playing in that game was the primary reason that it was changed.
Team officials tell me the threat of a player boycott over field conditions is main reason why the NFL moved game from Mexico to LA.
— mike freeman (@mikefreemanNFL) November 13, 2018
There had been reports surfacing that players on both sides were voicing their concerns about playing in the game. There was a potential risk of it causing injuries due to it being less than permissible for there to be a game played. This alone is enough to have some doubts about the safety of the players as the game is already physically taxing while playing on an unprepared field could only significantly increase the chance of injury.
This may have included several marquee players on both sides airing their concerns that made the league double take about going in that direction. It was a situation that became out of their hands as the field wasn't taken care of properly after being used for soccer games and concerts prior to Monday's game. It is a change in plans that the NFL had hoped to avoid, but placing the safety of their players above the draw of the game being played internationally was the right path to go.
It now shifts over to the Los Angeles Coliseum, where there two teams can compete in what will more than likely be an offensive showdown between both teams with plenty of playoff implications riding on the line.
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