The Los Angeles Chargers are scheduled to host the New Orleans Saints in Sunday's preseason game, but the NFL is monitoring the situation with Hurricane Hilary approaching the West Coast.
"We continue to monitor the weather and will (update the situation) if anything changes," NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said Friday, per Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com.
For now, there are no set plans to cancel or move the game even if that is subject to change depending on the weather.
Duncan noted the Saints arrived in Los Angeles on Wednesday for joint practices ahead of the game. They are scheduled to fly home following the game on Sunday.
According to Mary Gilbert and Elizabeth Wolfe of CNN, the storm could result in more than a typical year's worth of rainfall in a matter of days in California, Nevada and Arizona. As of Friday morning, the storm was classified as a Category 4 hurricane and was approximately 400 miles south of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
"Hilary is more likely to make landfall in Mexico and cross into California, but if it makes landfall in California as a tropical storm, it would be the first such storm to make landfall in California in nearly 84 years, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration," Gilbert and Wolfe explained.
It remains to be seen what the situation will look like by Sunday night when the Chargers and Saints are scheduled to play, which is why the NFL is monitoring instead of making a decision at this point.
The Chargers defeated the Los Angeles Rams in their preseason opener, while the Saints defeated the reigning champion Kansas City Chiefs.
Both teams have high expectations in 2023 with Los Angeles coming off a playoff appearance and New Orleans adding quarterback Derek Carr to direct its offense. If Sunday's game is ultimately canceled, the two teams will still each have another preseason contest to prepare for the upcoming campaign.
Los Angeles finishes its preseason against the San Francisco 49ers on Aug. 25, while New Orleans faces the Houston Texans on Aug. 27.
