PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers are ready to take to the sky as the New Orleans Saints await them in Paris, France. The team tries to secure their third consecutive victory in an effort to keep pace with the rest of the AFC North division.
This game comes with just a bit more than bragging rights between the Steelers and Saints. The NFL’s travels to France come at a time when a series of protests have erupted in the country. That’s led to some questioning whether or not the teams should go through with the game at all.
But according to the team’s long snapper, Christian Kuntz, the organization has been reassured by the league that the conditions are being monitored and precautionary measures have been put in place for the players' and their families’ safety. Speaking on his show, The Christian Kuntz Podcast, he shared details about the team’s recent meeting with league officials.
"We had an NFL security meeting. Which, I'm sure every team when you travel overseas, you have a meeting," he said. "Basically, they told us that, 'Yeah, there's riots going on. This is why they're rioting. It's not a threat in our area. We have tripled the security now. Everything's gonna be fine. Your families are gonna be safe.' So, they've advised us that it's gonna be safe."
Echoes Sentiments of Head Coach and NFL
This topic of safety in Paris has been broached several times, by players and coaching staff alike. In his recent press conference, head coach Mike McCarthy was asked and shared his thoughts on the situation, and Kuntz's response certainly echoes the sentiment.
"I'm obviously very aware," he said when asked about the political unrest in France. "We have a lot of confidence in our plan."
The league has maintained the same messaging. They've added a heightened security presence, as Kuntz noted, and the NFL is committed to making this happen without a hitch.
Can Steelers Leave Paris With a Win?
As all of this continues to swirl around, eventually the game has to be played. The concerns and safety questions will go away and the football contest will commence. What happens then?
The Steelers are hoping that all of the outside noise fades away and both sides can focus on football. It's not totally within their control, as so much happens outside of the stadium they will be playing in, but the NFL is hell-bent on getting this game played on their terms.
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