The Minnesota Vikings are the No. 5 seed in the NFC and are scheduled to hit the road for Monday night's Wild Card game against the No. 4 seeded Los Angeles Rams. This should be one heck of a game to close out the week.
However, there are some questions surrounding the game. There are factors that could prevent the game from being played safely in California. That means the NFL needs to have a backup plan for the Vikings vs. Rams game.
NFL reveals plan if Vikings playoff game vs. Rams needs to be moved
In a recent post on X, Tom Pelissero shared that there is a contingency plan in place in case the Wild Card playoff game can't be hosted by the Rams on Monday night.
The NFL has contingency plans in place that would potentially move Monday night’s wild card game between the #Rams and #Vikings to Arizona. From the league: pic.twitter.com/lsUe4sJ6mM
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 8, 2025
The statement addresses the fires in California and confirms that the plan is still to go forward with the game at SoFi Stadium. However, if the game cannot be played in that location, a neutral location has been established for the game.
The contingency plan is to play the game at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona if it can't be played in California. The statement from the NFL sites the safety of the Los Angeles community for the plan,
With the game not being played until Monday night, there is a chance SoFi Stadium could be a safe venue for the game, which is why the league is still planning on California for the game but will continue to monitor the situation.
The Vikings lost their second game of the season at SoFi Stadium to the Rams in Week 8. A move to Arizona could have an impact on home-field advantage and possibly the flow of the game if a shift in venue is deemed necessary.
Having the game between the Rams and Vikings as the last Wild Card game on the schedule adds to the flexibility of the event. If it does need to be moved, it would allow fans more time to adjust to the change and possibly still attend the game.
It is still a bit astounding that the 14-3 Minnesota Vikings need to hit the road at all in the Wild Card round of the playoffs. Losing their division meant the best they could finish was fifth in the NFC seeding, meaning a trip to the home of the 10-7 Rams was the way it panned out.