Dani Watt questions NFL holding Steelers-Saints game in Paris amid unrest
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The gist
Dani Watt, wife of Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt, questioned the NFL's plan to play in Paris amid unrest.
The game would be the NFL's first regular-season game in France.
Background
Dani Watt is the wife of T.J. Watt, a star linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers and described as perhaps the team's best defensive player; she is a retired NWSL (US women's pro soccer league) player, age 28. The Steelers are scheduled to face the New Orleans Saints at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, just north of Paris, in what would be the NFL's first regular-season game in Paris and its first-ever game in France. The league is proceeding amid civil unrest in France — protests over the cost of living and poor conditions in schools and universities, with cars burned and stores looted in recent days in the Paris area. The Saints are already in France, while the Steelers do not fly out until Thursday.
How it unfolded
- Oct 19, 2026Dani Watt reposted a CBS Pittsburgh graphic on her Instagram Stories saying the NFL is continuing with plans for the Steelers-Saints game amid unrest in Paris, adding "Tell me how this one makes sense???"
- Oct 19, 2026The Saints arrived in Paris and are staying just outside the city center, on the outskirts of Versailles.
- Oct 20, 2026Her post was reported by EssentiallySports, the New York Post, OutKick/Fox News, People/Yahoo and Steelers Now. The same day, demonstrators including students marched in Lille, France, to protest soaring living costs and high fuel prices.
- Oct 22, 2026T.J. Watt is scheduled to board a charter flight with his Steelers teammates to France.
- Oct 25, 2026Steelers vs. Saints is set for the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, just north of Paris — the NFL's first regular-season game in the city.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- The NFL says it is continuing forward with plans for the game and that preparations continue as scheduled, adding it continues to work closely with local authorities and partners on operational and security matters.
- Party
- Saints executive Greg Bensel said the team concurs with the NFL's statement and is planning to play, citing daily security updates with partners in France and no disruption at team sites.
- Analysts
- OutKick's Armando Salguero wrote that Dani Watt is the first person connected to the NFL to ask this fundamental and logical question, saying no coach, player or politician in Louisiana or Pennsylvania has been so candid.