The Philadelphia Eagles are gearing up for a unique start to their season, as they prepare to face the Green Bay Packers in an international showdown in Brazil.
The trip has sparked mixed reactions among the players, with some expressing concerns for their safety. There are reports that players have been advised to stay in their hotels due to rampant crime in Brazil.
Speaking on his “Big Play Slay” podcast, Eagles cornerback Darius Slay admitted that he wishes the team didn’t have to travel to Brazil.
“I do not want to go to Brazil. You want to know why? I’m going to tell you why…they already told us not to leave the hotel,” Slay revealed. “They told us we can’t do too much going on, because the crime rate is crazy. I’m like ‘NFL, why would you want to send us somewhere with a crime rate this high?’”
“I told my family do not come down there because I’m not going to be nowhere to be found,” Slay added.
Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown echoed Slay’s concerns and said he plans to keep off the streets as well.
“We had a meeting and there were a whole bunch of ‘Don’t Do’s,’” Brown said. “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.”
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni remains focused and confident about the team’s approach and ability to stay focused on the task at hand.
“We’re going there to play and win a football game,” Sirianni stated, making the team’s mission clear. “That’s our goal. That’s our only goal as we go down there.
“It’s just about getting everybody in the right mindset of what you need to be when you go down there. You can control the things that you can control. Like, we’re going to Brazil to play. That’s what it is. We’re excited about that.”
Despite Sirianni’s reassurances, some players remain apprehensive about the trip.
The Eagles are scheduled to depart for São Paulo at 10 AM on Wednesday, and the team’s third-string quarterback, Tanner McKee, is hopeful the experience will be positive.
McKee, eager to quell his teammates’ concerns, spoke candidly about the uncertainty surrounding the trip.
“I think a lot of guys have questions about the safety and the culture,” McKee told Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “It’s easy for people to be scared about things they don’t know.
“It’s a completely different country that a lot of people haven’t visited, and they’re going to speak a different language, and the culture is going to be different.
“It makes sense to take precautions and things like that. We do that no matter what game we’re going to. I’m just telling the guys, I think everyone is going to be pleasantly surprised by how nice everybody is down there and the culture and things like that.”
As the Eagles embark on this international venture, the pressure on the team is palpable, especially after a disappointing end to last season.
Despite a strong start with a 10-1 record, the Eagles collapsed down the stretch, losing the division title and getting blown out in the Wild Card round.
Entering this season, there is more pressure than ever on Sirianni and quarterback Jalen Hurts. They will seek to prove that the Eagles are much closer to the 2022 version rather than the 2023 version.
Facing the Green Bay Packers right off the bat is not the easiest of ways to start the season. It will be interesting to see which team handles the distractions of playing in South America better.
Friday night’s opener will mark the very first time the NFL has ever played a game in Brazil.
What are your thoughts on the league’s continued effort to globalize the sport???