Make California Post a Preferred Source The Rams have spent all week preparing for the Cardinals. Now, an unprecedented travel nightmare could force them to prepare for a road trip of an entirely different kind.
A nationwide ground stop issued by the Federal Aviation Administration on Friday afternoon has thrown weekend travel plans into chaos, potentially affecting several NFL teams scheduled to fly to their respective games Saturday.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the shutdown about 1:15 p.m. PT, citing a communications issue affecting air traffic control centers across the country.
The @FAAnews issued a nationwide ground stop for all U.S. airports following a communication issue impacting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers. FAA technicians are investigating the issue. We will provide immediate updates as we have them.
The grounding, reportedly only the second nationwide stoppage since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, has already disrupted college football travel. If it stretches into Saturday, the NFL could be next.
The Rams are scheduled to fly to Arizona on Saturday afternoon ahead of Sunday’s 1:05 p.m. PT kickoff against the Cardinals in Glendale.
If the FAA’s grounding order remains in effect throughout Saturday, Los Angeles could be forced to make the approximately 390-mile journey by charter bus, a six-to-seven-hour drive under favorable traffic conditions.
No contingency plan has been announced by the Rams, and there is no indication their scheduled departure will be affected.
But with kickoff less than 48 hours away, the possibility of loading an entire NFL roster, coaching staff and equipment onto buses is hardly ideal.
The 49ers are scheduled to fly to Dallas on Saturday, while the Chargers must travel across the country to Baltimore for Monday night’s matchup against the Ravens.
The Raiders are home against Seattle, but the Seahawks could face travel complications.
Other teams have more manageable alternatives. Pittsburgh to Cincinnati, Minnesota to Green Bay and Buffalo to New Jersey (for Jets game) are all drives of roughly 300 miles or less.
For teams traveling across multiple time zones, however, there is no convenient backup plan.
The NFL has not announced any schedule changes, and the situation remains entirely dependent on how quickly the FAA restores normal operations.
“It’s too early. We could address the issue at the appropriate time, if necessary,” said a league spokesman when asked about the ground stop.
For now, the Rams are preparing to fly. Whether they end up taking Interstate 10 instead could depend on what happens in the next 24 hours.
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