The field at Arena Corinthians for the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers game in São Paulo, Brazil is so bad that even one of the officials got hurt.
Friday night’s game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers marked the first NFL contest in Brazil. And let’s just say that players’ concerns about the quality of the field turned out to be completely justified.
The field for Arena Corinthians was so porous that field judge Ryan Dickson even suffered an undisclosed injury during the game. NBC’s cameras caught trainers looking at his right leg on the sideline at one point:
Field judge injury #NFL #REF pic.twitter.com/vjtbpWoVGI
— Tanner Phifer (@TannerPhifer) September 7, 2024
Unfortunately, the thrilling back-and-forth game between the Cheeseheads and Philadelphia Eagles has been largely overshadowed by the awful field conditions. Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James even had to chime in on it:
Man this field sucks!!! 🤦🏾♂️ GB vs PHI
— LeBron James (@KingJames) September 7, 2024
There were several concerns about the safety of players heading into Friday’s game. Philadelphia Eagles superstar wide receiver AJ Brown and All-Pro cornerback Darius Slay revealed that they were given important safety tips, with the latter stating they were told to stay in their hotels.
NFL: “Let’s play one of most viewed games in a country that doesn’t even like the football at a field where players slip & fall every play”
— Alex Monahan (@AlexMonahan100) September 7, 2024
The players haven’t had any safety issues whatsoever since landing. The only legitimate complaint up to this point, of course, is the field quality.
The Eagles will return home for a Week 2 “Monday Night Football” showdown vs. the Atlanta Falcons on Sept. 16. The Packers will host the Indianapolis Colts in their home opener Sept. 15.
Four More International Series Games In 2024
The Philadelphia Eagles-Green Bay Packers contest is the first of five NFL International Series games for 2024. There are three games in London, England (New York Jets vs. Minnesota Vikings on Oct. 6, Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Chicago Bears on Oct. 13 and New England Patriots vs. Jaguars on Oct 20).
The 2024 International Series will wrap up on Nov. 10 when the New York Giants play the Carolina Panthers at Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany.
