NFL overcomes civil unrest, Trump concerns and calls for postponement as Steelers, Saints kick off in Paris

After the wisdom of America’s most popular sport was called into question due to its insistence on playing its first-ever game in France following a Saturday filled with protests and violence, the NFL kicked off Sunday at the Stade de France in Paris.

So we learned a lesson: The league that played the legendary Ice Bowl in temperatures of -13°F, the Fog Bowl in zero visibility, and Super Bowl XXIII just days after the riots in Miami, has a new benchmark for playing despite difficult circumstances.

Surrounded by a larger security presence than perhaps any regular-season NFL game before, the Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints kicked off exactly as the league had been planning for months, around 3:30 p.m. PT (9:30 a.m. ET in the United States).

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The game is being played out following a grueling Saturday in which one government estimates 110,000 protesters, made up of students, workers, farmers, socialists, communists, pro-Palestinian Muslims, anarchists, Antifa and other radicals, took to the streets to march, fight police and cause civil unrest.

And although the unrest forced the shutdown of three official fan events scheduled for Saturday by the NFL, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New Orleans Saints, they did not win Sunday’s game.

The Stade de France, located about nine miles north of the Eiffel Tower, was almost full at kickoff.

The NFL shield logo sits on the field with the Eiffel Tower as a backdrop during the NFL Flag Experience at the Champ de Mars in Paris, France on October 24, 2026. (IMAGINE IMAGES via Reuters Connect)

It is unclear whether the game faced any credible security threats before kickoff. Emails sent to the league security service and the Paris Police Prefecture remained unanswered at the time of publication.

And while teams and players will tell the story of that game, the story of how it went as planned despite the surrounding violence is an equally compelling and perhaps controversial tale.

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The NFL is playing this first game in France after calls from experts, at least one player’s wife and even the President of the United States to postpone or move it.

Paris Saint-Germaine postponed its game from Saturday to Monday due to the unrest that fueled the chorus of voices calling for the NFL to do the same.

But when asked by OutKick if she still expected to play the game despite the football game being postponed and its own pregame fan events shutting down, the NFL had a one-word response:

“Yes.”

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell smiles as he walks near the field before an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints in Saint-Denis, near Paris, Sunday, October 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Steve Luciano)

The NFL made the decision even though President Donald Trump admitted he was “concerned” and added, “I would have said the NFL probably could have postponed this game, if you want to know the truth.”

The NFL has faced similar calls to reverse course over the past week.

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But the week was filled with league officials saying they were moving forward with the game with the understanding there were contingencies to do something else if necessary.

NFL executive vice president for club and international affairs Peter O’Reilly said last week that the league was “vigilant” about the situation in France, but remained confident in the progress of the game.

“We have confidence in the plans, both from an operational and security perspective,” he said.

This confidence was echoed by Commissioner Roger Goodell, who informed reporters that he had been in contact not only with the US State Department but also with Secretary of State Marco Rubio himself.

A police officer stands in front of the Stade de France stadium before the start of the NFL game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New Orleans Saints in Saint-Denis, near Paris, Sunday, October 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Emma Da Silva)

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Rubio confirmed to OutKick that the U.S. Embassy and France believe the game “will go well.”

What’s intriguing about this game and the NFL’s recent mishap in London, where Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts flew approximately 11 hours round trip while battling a blood clot that worsened after the flight home, is that more and more players have openly questioned the league’s embrace of international games.

Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf was asked in France if there was a country he would like to play an international game in next?

“No, sir,” Metcalf said, “because I really don’t like traveling outside of the United States to play soccer.”

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