Philadelphia Eagles star says 'I do NOT want to go to Brazil' as NFL faces big problem

Philadelphia Eagles star cornerback Darius Slay wants no part of the NFL ’s first game in Brazil - and he even advised his family not to attend due to “crazy” crime rate.

For the opening game of the 2024 NFL season, the Eagles have the honor of taking a 10-hour-plus flight to Brazil to take on the Green Bay Packers . It is set to be an intriguing contest on the field, while the event will provide a spectacle as the first-ever International Series takes place in Rio de Janeiro.

The game in Brazil may excite fans, but players are speaking out against the prospect. Eagles corner Slay explained why doesn’t want to take part, admitting he told his family to “not come down”.

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“Week 1, I can’t wait,” Slay said on the “Big Play Slay” podcast. “But man, I do not wanna go to Brazil... They already told us not to leave the hotel. They told us we can’t do too much because the crime rate is crazy. I’m like NFL, why would you wanna send us somewhere with a crime rate this high? I told my family do not come down there.”

Slay added: “I’m not going to be nowhere to be found. I’m going to be in the hotel chillin', minding my business, playing my game after a long nine-and-a-half-hour flight. I have no intentions of doing nothing.”

The game is scheduled for Friday, and the Eagles are reportedly scheduled to fly to Brazil on Wednesday morning. The team has little time to explore the city outside of preparing to face the Packers, but they have been advised to keep any sight-seeing to a minimum.

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Given concerns over player safety during moments of free time, star receiver A.J. Brown sounded unbothered. He said: “We're professionals. We’re down there to win a football game. We’re not down there to see the city, do all this other stuff. This is not a vacation. This is a football game.”

The Eagles endured an embarrassing end to the 2023 season, unraveling from a 10-1 record to lose the division before falling to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Wild Card round. While Eagles players are far from thrilled about the trip, head coach Nick Sirianni remains focused on the task at hand as he hopes to start the campaign on a positive note.

“We’re going there to play and win a football game,” the Eagles coach told reporters. “That’s our goal. That’s our only goal as we go down there. And so, it’s just getting everybody in the right mindset of what you need to be when you go down there.

“You can control the things that you can control. Like, we’re going to Brazil to play. That’s what it is. We’re excited about that.”

The Eagles face the Packers at Corinthians Arena on Friday, Sept. 6.