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SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The air here is dingy brown, a result of wildfires ravaging the West, but apparently it’s not expected to be unhealthy enough to stop an NFL game from being played as scheduled.

The Cardinals and 49ers are proceeding as if their game, scheduled to begin Sunday at 1:25 p.m. at Levi’s Stadium, will proceed without deal. The Cardinals arrived here Saturday afternoon and were sequestered in their hotel.

That was the plan all along, given COVID precautions.

The air quality index (AQI) in Santa Clara Saturday evening was in the 170s, according to AirNow.gov. That’s considered unhealthy and people are being advised to avoid strenuous outdoor activities.

The NFL’s threshold for playing football is 200 (AQI), but that apparently is only one metric the league uses to determine if it’s safe to play outside.

Reach Kent Somers at [email protected]. Follow him on twitter @kentsomers. 

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