Roger Goodell wasn’t kidding when he said he wanted to turn the NFL into a global game. The league scheduled nine international games this season, and the obstacles piled up fast, from stadiums never built for football to playing surfaces that drew complaints. Goodell’s answer to each one was the same: fix it and keep going.

Now, as Week 7 brings the NFL to France for the first time, the league faces a problem no groundskeeper can solve. Protests and unrest in Paris show no signs of slowing down. Yet if anyone expected the league to blink, they’ll be waiting a while.

“We’re excited for the first-ever regular season game in Paris, and preparations continue as scheduled for NFL events and the game at Stade de France on October 25,” the league’s statement read, according to ESPN NFL reporter Brooke Pryor. “As we do for every NFL game, including our international games, we work closely with local authorities and partners on all operational and security matters. We look forward to welcoming fans to Paris later this month.”

The NFL announced the game in May 2026, naming the New Orleans Saints and the Pittsburgh Steelers as the teams that would play in Paris on Sunday, October 25, 2026. As with the Rio game, it will be a historic moment, with Paris hosting an NFL game for the first time.

However, in mid-September 2026, high school students, teachers, and lawyers began protesting to demand reforms to the education system. The New York Times reported that roughly 250,000 people marched in rallies across the country. They flooded dozens of cities from Caen to Marseille, with union activists and high school students swelling the crowds.

The bigger problem for the NFL is one specific Paris suburb that has become the center of these protests: Saint-Denis. That’s where the Stade de France, the site of the Saints–Steelers game, is located.

Authorities have already been forced to use tear gas, stun grenades, and other measures, while protesters have reportedly caused damage and set fires. In such a scenario, is it really the smartest choice to stay on track for the game, especially with the safety of players and fans on the line?

To its credit, the NFL has managed a situation like this before. In 2016, protests erupted in Charlotte after the death of Keith Lamont Scott. When the Carolina Panthers hosted the Minnesota Vikings days later, Bank of America Stadium was surrounded by police in riot gear. Paris authorities also have experience hosting a major international sporting event amid protests, having done so during the 2024 Paris Olympics.

That’s why, on paper, the league’s plan makes some sense. However, there’s plenty of concern around the Week 7 matchup. Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio noted that looking forward to the game and the game actually happening in Paris are two different things. According to him, the league might reconsider if officials believe “the game will present safety issues for anyone involved.”

If things don’t work out in Paris, Florio suggested New Orleans as the obvious alternative. There’s precedent: in 2018, the league moved a Kansas City Chiefs–Los Angeles Rams game out of Mexico City because of the poor condition of the field at Estadio Azteca, relocating it to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

The stakes are high, since international games tend to draw big audiences. The Jacksonville Jaguars–Philadelphia Eagles game in London on October 11, 2026, attracted 8.1 million viewers, according to ESPN, making it the second-most-watched NFL International Series game since 2016. That raised the bar for the Saints–Steelers game in Paris.

Back in May 2026, Steelers president Art Rooney II expressed his excitement about the Steelers playing in the league’s first regular-season game in Paris.

“We’re honored to represent the Pittsburgh Steelers and the NFL in the League’s first-ever game in Paris this upcoming season,” Rooney said. “Playing the New Orleans Saints in such a historic setting is a great opportunity to showcase the NFL’s global growth and to connect with fans around the world. It’s an exciting moment for our organization and for Steelers Nation everywhere.”

Saints owner Gayle Benson also shared her thoughts at the announcement.

“It is a privilege for the New Orleans Saints to take part in the NFL’s first regular season game in France,” Benson said. “Louisiana’s relationship with France is centuries deep, and this game represents another meaningful step in strengthening those cultural and economic ties. The Saints are also proud to partner with the NFL’s flag football initiatives in France, which have grown rapidly and now engage thousands of young athletes.”

She went on to thank Commissioner Roger Goodell, U.S. Ambassador to France Charles Kushner, Ambassador of France to the United States Laurent Bili, Consul General of France Samuel Ducroquet, and Consul General of France in Louisiana Rodolphe Sambou for making it possible for the Saints to play in Paris.

The game in Paris will mark the Saints’ fourth overseas regular-season game. The NFL’s head of Europe and Asia Pacific, Brett Gosper, previously praised the city, calling Paris a “global city synonymous with some of the world’s greatest sporting and cultural moments.”

The game is expected to draw significant French viewership, but only if the NFL actually holds it in Paris and the ongoing protests subside.