Cardinals’ State Farm Stadium could host Vikings-Rams playoff game

Arizona’s State Farm Stadium is the NFL’s contingency plan for the Monday night playoff game between the Vikings and Rams.

The Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Rams will play the final game of Wild Card Weekend Monday night. The game is scheduled at SoFi Stadium Monday night at 8 p.m. ET, airing on ESPN, ABC and ESPN+.

But with wildfires in Southern California, the league made an announcement on Wednesday about the game.

The NFL’s priority is the safety of the Los Angeles community. We are grateful for the tireless efforts of the first responders. Our hearts are with Los Angeles and everyone affected by the fires.

We continue to prepare to play the Vikings-Rams game as scheduled Monday night at SoFi Stadium. As with all games, there are contingency plans in the event a change in location is needed. In this instance, the game would be played on Monday night at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, AZ, if necessary.

We will continue to closely monitor developments in the area and will remain in contact with public officials, both clubs and the NFLPA.

The game will be played Monday night as scheduled, but the Arizona Cardinals’ home stadium is the backup plan. There could be a playoff game at State Farm Stadium, albeit for a division rival.

This isn’t the first time that Arizona has been a backup plan.

In 2020, the San Francisco 49ers played their final three home games of the season at State Farm Stadium because of COVID restrictions in Northern California at the time.

In 2003, Sun Devil Stadium hosted a Monday night game between the Miami Dolphins and San Diego Chargers with wildfires in Southern California then.

So depending on how things go over the next few days, if Cardinals fans tune in to the Vikings-Rams playoff game on Monday night, they might see a familiar stadium on television.

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