Packers-Saints game moved from New Orleans to Jacksonville in wake of Hurricane Ida

The New Orleans Saints will play their season opener in Jacksonville, Fla., after being displaced by Hurricane Ida.

Instead of playing in the Superdome for the Sept. 12 opener against the Green Bay Packers, the Saints will host the game at the home of the Jaguars, the NFL announced Wednesday.

“The decision was made, in consultation with state and local officials and both clubs, in the interest of public safety,” the league said Tuesday in a statement.

While the Superdome appears to have been spared significant damage from the powerful Category 4 hurricane, there are logistical challenges with staffing an NFL game there in less than two weeks because of the widespread infrastructure damage in the New Orleans area.

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“I am proud of the collective communications that occurred between many entities in a short amount of time that led to us making this decision,” Saints owner Gayle Benson said. “It is never easy to make a decision that involves not playing a Saints home game in the Caesars Superdome, but I am confident that this is the right decision for our city at this juncture.”

The Saints evacuated before the storm to North Texas, and have practiced this week at AT&T Stadium, the home of the Dallas Cowboys. They are remaining in Texas for workouts next week, and will travel to Jacksonville the day before the season opener.