The San Francisco 49ers might not be the only NFL team uprooted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Days after the NFC West contender officially relocated to Arizona for at least the next two weeks, both the Los Angeles Chargers and Los Angeles Rams are preparing for their own emergency moves amid increased COVID restrictions in California. That's according to Yahoo Sports' Charles Robinson, who reported Friday that the NFL has been in contact with both franchises regarding potential paths forward.
The Chargers and Rams' discussions with the NFL have included "troubleshooting potential practice and stadium sites outside the state of California," per Robinson, with both teams "eyeing backup plans that could include the use of another NFL facility in neighboring states." These talks "began swiftly" after the Niners were abruptly forced to find a new practice and game-day home because of Santa Clara County restrictions.
Los Angeles County, where the Rams and Chargers share SoFi Stadium, was not totally affected by new statewide orders from Gov. Gavin Newsom at the time emergency relocation talks got underway, according to Robinson, but contingency plans have become all but inevitable. Both the city and county of Los Angeles recently issued stay-at-home orders to help combat the spread of COVID-19.
The Rams are scheduled to visit the Cardinals on Sunday before hosting two straight games in L.A., first on Dec. 10 against the Patriots and then again on Dec. 20 against the Jets. The Chargers, meanwhile, have three of their next four games scheduled to take place at SoFi Stadium, starting with this Sunday against the Patriots.
