Air Quality Issues Loom Over NFL Playoffs Amid Los Angeles Fires

The wildfires in Los Angeles are raising question marks for three teams ahead of the first round of the NFL playoffs.

The Chargers practiced outside as wildfires raged ahead of their Saturday game against the Texans, and the Rams are set to host the Vikings on Monday night in L.A. The NFL said Wednesday it’s monitoring the situation ahead of Monday’s game, and it will move the matchup to Glendale, Ariz., if necessary.

Even setting aside all the other issues the fires present—diverting precious emergency resources, travel for fans and players, safety from the fires themselves—air quality is a major factor, whether the fires are burning by Monday.

An NFL spokesperson tells Front Office Sports: “Relevant NFL policy states that ‘medical experts have generally agreed that an AQI [Air Quality Index] that consistently measures over 200 in the immediate vicinity of the stadium signifies very unhealthy conditions in which vigorous exercise is not recommended.’”

The air quality system runs from 0 to 500. A “good” rating is 0 to 50, “moderate” is 51 to 100, “unhealthy for sensitive groups” is 101 to 150, “unhealthy” is 151 to 200, “very unhealthy” is 201 to 300, and “hazardous” is 301 to 500.

In smoky El Segundo, the Chargers changed practice plans Wednesday and Thursday to include less time outside, because the air quality at their facility reached an AQI of 201, according to ESPN. Videos of the team at practice showed the offense going outside without the defense, which was set to go outside afterward. A team spokesperson tells FOS the team will fly out of Los Angeles International Airport Thursday as previously scheduled.

“We’re trying to keep everybody safe and healthy as much as possible and also at the same time get our preparation done for the game,” Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter said. (El Segundo is also home to the Lakers’ practice facility.)

As of Thursday morning, the AQI around SoFi Stadium was 135, according to AirNow, a government website that tracks air quality.

Though the smoke from the fires themselves is blowing out to sea, the same windy conditions that exacerbated the L.A. fires are causing some air quality issues in Arizona as well. The Santa Ana winds are whipping up desert dust, causing dust pollution and poor air quality in Phoenix, where the Rams-Vikings game could be moved. AirNow’s Thursday morning AQI reading in Phoenix and Glendale is 110, and the winds are expected to return Friday.

The Rams and Chargers practice outside, causing potential issues for both teams, even though the Chargers are about to head to Houston for their Saturday afternoon matchup.

AirNow showed AQI readings of 135 near the Chargers’ facility in El Segundo and 28 near the Rams’ new facility in Woodland Hills on Thursday morning.

Rams players had the day off Wednesday, and practice Thursday is going forward “as scheduled,” according to a team spokesperson.

Back in the playoffs under first-year coach Jim Harbaugh, the Chargers are hosting fan events throughout Southern California this week. The team has organized a supply drive for its Wednesday and Thursday events to go to evacuation centers, including one located at the high school of the team’s most recent High School Coach of the Year. Four events were originally scheduled, but one in Sherman Oaks was canceled Friday that was slated to feature a Jim Harbaugh look-alike contest.

As of Thursday morning, five people have died while more than 180,000 have been forced to evacuate. Thousands of homes have burned, and economic losses are estimated to be close to $50 billion so far. At Los Angeles International Airport on Wednesday, more than 275 flights were delayed and 11 were canceled, according to data from FlightAware. Those numbers sat at around 115 delays and 37 cancellations Thursday morning.

Fire Is an Emerging Problem in Sports

In 2023, smoke from the Canadian wildfires caused issues for MLB, the minor leagues, the WNBA, and the NWSL, postponing games and drawing backlash from players.

“I don’t really know why we are playing. It seems like everyone is kind of uneducated on this subject, which is too bad,” then–Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Austin Hedges said on a smoky morning before a game. “It’s clear as day when you look at your phone and you check the numbers. Like, it’s told you don’t go outside. They’re not telling you don’t go outside and they’re not saying that for no reason. We’re not any different than any other humans.”

That game in western Pennsylvania ended up being delayed for 45 minutes when the AQI reached 189, but eventually went forward. Pirates players expressed concerns for teammates with breathing issues, visibility, and older fans.

Amid wildfires in the Pacific Northwest in 2020, the Seattle Mariners hosted the Oakland A’s for a doubleheader that began with an AQI of 220 and went up to 240, according to AirNow. “I’m a healthy 22-year-old,” said then-A’s pitcher Jesús Luzardo. “I shouldn’t be gasping for air or missing oxygen. I’ll leave it at that.”

Arizona Backup Plan Has History

In 2003, wildfires in San Diego sent a Chargers-Dolphins game to Sun Devil Stadium. Tickets were free with the encouragement to give to wildfire victims.

Poor air quality in 2007 again sent the Chargers across state lines to the Cardinals’ practice facility for the week, though the team returned home for a huge victory over the Texans.

And in 2020, the 49ers moved three home games to Arizona due to COVID-19 restrictions in California.