With Hurricane Ida closing in on the Louisiana coastline, and expected to make landfall Sunday afternoon, the New Orleans Saints have announced that they have canceled their final preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals.
It was scheduled for a noon kickoff at the Caesar’s Superdome.
The Saints said in a press release that they have been in constant communication with City of New Orleans officials, the National Weather Service, Homeland Security, state officials and the National Football League, and decided to cancel the exhibition matchup.
The game had already been moved up to noon to attempt to get the game in prior to the storm, but with a state of emergency declared by the state, and local officials encouraging residents to evacuate New Orleans, the team thought cancellation was the most prudent option.
“Due to the intensification of the hurricane throughout the day and after the most recent tropical update, the team’s leadership has made the decision in the best interests of all personnel that may have been directly and indirectly affected by the storm.”
New Orleans Saints
In order to continue preparations for the season opener against the Green Bay Packers, the team will relocate to the Dallas-Fort Worth area, according to reports.
The Saints will leave on Saturday afternoon. If they are forced to stay in Dallas for any extended period, they will practice at AT&T Stadium, aka “Jerry World,” in Arlington, Texas.
Workouts were previously scheduled by the team for Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of next week. The Saints will be in Texas until Wednesday at the earliest.