NFL Firmly Shuts Down Josh Jacobs After He Claimed The League Told Players They Can’t Wear Green In Brazil

Packers fans holding Brazil flag

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The NFL is gearing up to play its first game in Brazil when the Packers and the Eagles face off there in September, and it’s already being forced to address some concerns about the next installment in the International Series thanks to the venue that will host the contest.

As you likely know, the color green is associated with both the Philadelphia Eagles and the Green Bay Packers, who will be kicking off their regular season at Arena Corinthians in Sao Paulo on the night of Friday, September 6th.

That hue is also associated with SE Palmeiras, the soccer club that has a heated rivalry with the team that plays in the stadium that will be hosting the NFL showdown to the point where the venue has instituted an informal ban on the color green inside its walls (which makes the decision to pick the Eagles for the Packers for the contest a fairly curious one).

Earlier this week, Packers running back Josh Jacobs turned plenty of heads when he claimed the NFL had instructed players to avoid wearing green during their trip to Brazil during an appearance on the Green Light with Chris Long podcast while implying the directive had something to do with gangs in the region.

It didn’t take long for NFL chief spokesman Brian McCarthy to set the record straight by shooting a text to Front Office Sports, saying, “One of the host stadium’s rival soccer clubs wears green but the league did not say players could not wear green. That is false.”

He also debunked Jacobs’ suggestion that the teams will be escorted by armored vehicles during their time in Brazil, noting, “As with any international game, we have comprehensive security plans in place coordinated with local officials,” but it doesn’t sound like that particular measure will be necessary.

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Connor Toole is the Deputy Editor at BroBible and a Boston College graduate currently based in New England. He has spent close to 15 years working for multiple online outlets covering sports, pop culture, weird news, men's lifestyle, and food and drink.