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If Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Darius Slay had his way, his team’s season opener against the Green Bay Packers wouldn’t be happening in Brazil.
“I do not want to go to Brazil,” he said on his podcast (36-minute mark). “… They already told us not to leave the hotel, they told us we can’t do too much because the crime rate is crazy. NFL, why do you want to send us somewhere where the crime rate is this high?”
He also said he told his family not to come because he plans on eating in the hotel and remaining there except for when the team goes to the stadium to play.
The game is Friday, and the Eagles’ official website broke down the travel plans.
“The Eagles are leaving on Wednesday, flying for about 10 hours, arriving Wednesday night, having a team walkthrough at the stadium on Thursday, playing the game on Friday night, and then flying back to Philadelphia immediately after the game. The turnaround time is remarkable, and while the team is traveling outside of the United States, the time difference is only one hour.”
That breakdown also pointed out the NFL is providing security for the trip to São Paulo for the league’s first-ever game in South America.
Star Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown also discussed the team’s upcoming trip to Brazil and said he will likely remain in the hotel room.
“We had a meeting yesterday, and there were a whole bunch of ‘Don’t Do’s,'” Brown said, per Jeff Kerr of CBS Sports. “So I’m just trying to go down there and win a football game, and come back home … But after hearing all this stuff, I’m probably going to be in my room.”
He was then asked to clarify what those “Don’t Do’s” were.
“A lot, honestly,” Brown said. “Things that we would normally do here, even something as simple as walking down the street with your phone in your hand, and stuff like that, which is kind of crazy, so it’s alright.”
While some of the discussion surrounding the game has not been about football, it still figures to be an important contest between presumed NFC contenders.
Both Green Bay and Philadelphia were wild-card teams last season and are looking to take the next step in their respective divisions. A head-to-head win for either could go a long way toward potential tie-breaking scenarios for NFC playoff seeds and would help the winner build some early momentum.
Throw in the possibility of Jordan Love and Jalen Hurts trading touchdowns, and Friday’s game could be appointment viewing even if Slay and others are concerned about traveling to Brazil.