Tuesday 5 September 2017 22:07, UK
Sunday's NFL opener on Sky Sports between the Miami Dolphins and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers has been rescheduled.
Hurricane Irma, which is tracking to make landfall in Florida over the next few days, has been upgraded from a category 4 to a category 5 storm by the US National Hurricane Centre.
The Dolphins were due to play the Buccaneers on Sunday at Hard Rock stadium but the NFL are now considering two options; whether to play the game at a neutral venue on Sunday or have it take place in Miami later in the year.
An NFL statement read: "In the interest of public safety in light of the current state of emergency, the NFL, in consultation with state and local officials as well as both clubs, has decided that playing an NFL game in South Florida this week is not appropriate.
"The league will continue to examine other options, including playing the game this Sunday at a neutral site or in Miami later this season, and will provide an update on that decision as soon as possible."
One option being considered was to push the game to week 11, when both teams are scheduled for a bye week.
However, that would mean players being forced to play 16 straight weeks without a rest, something the league and players union are not enthusiastic about.
The Dolphins have been required to move games before because of weather events.
In 2004 a game against the Titans was shifted to a Saturday because of Hurricane Ivan, while in 2005 a fixture with the Chiefs was switched to a Friday because of the threat of Hurricane Wilma.
