“We made it through” – Tampa Mayor Jane Castor hints Buccaneers will host Chiefs on Sunday Night Football as city recovers from Hurricane Ian
The Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are two of the best in the NFL and it seems their Week 4 clash on Sunday Night Football is still on. Tampa mayor Jane Castor tweeted that the city has made it through Hurricane Ian, which impacted the city and the state of Florida.
"We made it through—now the recovery efforts begin. I can’t thank our @CityofTampa teams enough. Our push crews are going out in full force to clear debris and keep our city safe."
We made it through—now the recovery efforts begin. I can’t thank our @CityofTampa teams enough. Our push crews are going out in full force to clear debris and keep our city safe. https://t.co/Ul5kFI42vj
Castor went as far as posing with the Buccaneers flag in a photo, all but indicating that the game is still a go.
On another note: we're doing our best to keep the @Buccaneers game here Sunday. I have assured the @NFL that the only disturbance here Sunday is when the Bucs kick ass. 😉 https://t.co/Mwp4EXPUlK
The Tampa Sports Authority told the league that they have all the emergency services to host the matchup at Raymond James Stadium. Now, it's in the hands of the NFL to make the final decision to play the game. Below is a time-lapsed view of the stadium during Hurricane Ian.
RayJay Stadium View time lapse from 2022-09-28 https://t.co/TPlMJTWTtQ
Where will the Chiefs-Buccaneers be held if not played at Raymond James Stadium?
If the NFL decides to move the game from Raymond James Stadium, the contingency plan is to relocate the game up north. According to ESPN, the league has designated the U.S. Bank Stadium, the home stadium of the Minnesota Vikings, for the Sunday Night game. The stadium is open as the Vikings are in London to face the New Orleans Saints.
NFL Vice President Jeff Miller gave no timeframe or target date for making the call. They vowed that the league would not do anything to "negatively impact public safety efforts in the affected areas." Miller did note that if the game is moved, it will be played Sunday night as opposed to a day or two later.
Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles said his team will be ready whenever they play:
"We can't control the outside forces. You know, our thoughts are with the city of Tampa right now, but where we have to play ... hopefully it is Tampa and everything is fine; that means we're not damaged too much. But if we have to go play elsewhere, you know, we just have to focus and lock in."
It wouldn't be unprecedented for an NFL game to be moved due to the weather. Last year, Hurricane Ida forced the New Orleans Saints to move their Week 1 game against the Green Bay Packers to the Jacksonville Jaguars' home stadium. We'll see where the league lands on this decision regarding the Kansas City-Tampa Bay showdown.
If you use any of the above quotes, please credit Buccaneers.com and H/T Sportskeeda.