Dani Watt, the wife of Pittsburgh Steelers star linebacker T.J. Watt, publicly challenged the NFL's decision to proceed with Sunday's game against the New Orleans Saints in Paris, as civil unrest continues to rattle the French capital just days before kickoff. Her Instagram post on Monday, October 19, turned a routine international matchup into a flashpoint for a broader debate about player and fan safety.
Who Is Dani Watt and What She Said
Dani, a retired NWSL player, shared a CBS Pittsburgh report on her Instagram Story Monday, which said the NFL planned to continue preparations despite unrest in the French capital. Over the graphic, Dani, 28, wrote, "Tell me how this one makes sense???"
The couple's connection to football and the NFL's international ambitions go back years. Dani and T.J. met in 2016 when he played football for the Wisconsin Badgers and she played soccer for the university, and they tied the knot in 2022 in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Her comments quickly spread across sports media, with fans echoing her concerns about sending players and their families into a city dealing with ongoing protests.
Why Unrest in Paris Has Fans On Edge
A protest movement that escalated
Riots have been taking place in Paris since mid-September when students and teachers at a school in the Parisian suburbs walked out demanding additional resources and staffing, and the city has since seen protests break out as citizens call for a fairer cost of living and significant change to the growing wealth divide. What began as a localized dispute grew into a broader movement over several weeks.
Scenes that fueled the backlash
Protests over school conditions and living costs have led to violence, fires, and looting in parts of the city. Images of unrest circulating online, including a couple that made headlines for enjoying drinks and cigarettes at a Paris restaurant as fires roared behind them on Oct. 19, only amplified the sense of unease among fans planning to travel for the game.
How the NFL and the Teams Are Responding
Security assurances from league officials
The league has not wavered publicly. "Preparations continue as scheduled for NFL events and the game at Stade de France next Sunday," the NFL said in a statement. "We are also providing the two clubs with regular updates. There's been no disruption or impact at league sites." At the league's fall meeting, Peter O'Reilly, the NFL's executive VP of club business, international and league events, said, "There's nothing more important from our standpoint than the teams' security, the fans' security — everybody involved with this game. Obviously being very vigilant in everything we do, in all of our planning on an hour-by-hour basis, working closely with the two teams."
The Saints stand behind the league
New Orleans has echoed that stance. Saints executive Greg Bensel said the team supported the league's decision, stating, "We concur with the NFL's statement and are planning to play the game." The NFL has pointed out that despite the backdrop of protests, operations at team hotels and league sites have continued without interruption.
What Comes Next for Steelers-Saints
The Steelers and Saints are scheduled to play October 25 at Stade de France in Saint-Denis, just outside Paris, marking the NFL's first regular-season game in France at a stadium that hosted events during the 2024 Olympics and Paralympics. The Saints plan to travel to Paris immediately after their game against the New York Giants in East Rutherford, New Jersey, while the Steelers plan to practice in Pittsburgh before departing for France on Thursday.
Kickoff is set for 9:30 a.m. ET, with the game airing nationally on NFL Network and streaming on NFL+. The Steelers enter the trip fresh off recent action, and coach Mike Tomlin will again be at the center of attention as Pittsburgh chases consistency. It is not the first time an NFL franchise has carried safety questions into an overseas trip this season; weeks earlier, the league navigated similar logistical and security planning for the Texans-Jaguars game in London.
For now, both teams and the league insist the Paris matchup will go on as scheduled. Whether Dani Watt's public pushback sparks any late changes to the plan remains to be seen, but as of this week, the NFL has given no indication it intends to alter the game, the venue, or the date.