News Article
Published
Oct 21, 2026 at 08:50 PM EDT
The Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints are set to play the NFL’s first-ever game in France this weekend, but not everyone is happy about it.
Because of the radical political climate in the country — protests have been breaking out all over the country over poor school conditions and teacher shortages, high cost of living, inflated gas prices, and frustration with President Emmanuel Macron — many American fans are calling on the NFL to move the game back stateside.
The latest to speak out on the NFL’s ill-fated decision is Dani Watt, the wife of Steelers star pass-rusher T.J. Watt.
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On her Instagram story on Monday, Dani reposted a CBS Pittsburgh story with the caption: “The NFL says it is continuing forward with plans for the upcoming Steelers-Saints game amid unrest in Paris.”
She then added her own commentary, asking “Tell me how this makes sense???”
Despite the public coverage of the civil unrest in France — 500,000 people marched in protest over the weekend according to CNBC, and there’s been reports of vandalization to local businesses, police officers being attacked, and several buildings being set on fire — the NFL has been adamant Sunday’s game will still take place at Stade de France, which hosted the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics and Paralympics.
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“We continue to work closely with local authorities and partners on all operational and security matters,” an NFL spokesperson told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. “We are also providing the two clubs with regular updates. There’s been no disruption or impact at league sites.”
Saints senior vice president of communications, broadcasting, community & government relations Greg Bensel revealed the team is on board with the NFL’s decision to forge ahead with the game.
“We concur with the NFL’s statement and are planning to play the game,” Bensel stated. “In addition to working closely with the NFL, we have also maintained daily security updates with our security partners in France.
“Members of our football operations staff and internal security team have been on the ground in France for the past few days and there has been no disruption or impact at any of our team sites.”