Redskins Want to Exchange Home Dates With Cardinals

The National Football League won’t get involved if the Washington Redskins and Phoenix Cardinals decided to switch home games this year, league spokesman Jim Heffernan says.

“If they can discuss it and reach agreement, there’s no need for a ruling by the commissioner,” Heffernan said.

Redskins Coach Joe Gibbs said he was worried about playing an afternoon game in Sun Devil Stadium in suburban Tempe on Sept. 25.

The Cardinals play at Washington on Oct. 16, and Gibbs sought to switch the games, hoping for lower temperature readings by moving the game in Arizona back three weeks.

Cardinals owner Bill Bidwill said he wouldn’t comment on the request until he received a copy of the petition the Redskins sent to NFL headquarters. Phoenix Coach Gene Stallings has said he would prefer to keep the assigned dates.

Heffernan said he could not remember a previous request to change dates because of weather conditions.

The national Weather Service said Phoenix has an average high temperature of 96 degrees on Sept. 25 and 88 degrees on Oct. 16. Temperatures in excess of 100 degrees are possible either day.