49ers open season breathing unhealthy air at Levi's Stadium
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - It’s the day San Francisco 49ers fans have been waiting for since last year’s Super Bowl: the home opener at Levi’s Stadium. But with bad air quality, the chance of canceling the matchup with the Arizona Cardinals lingered into the early afternoon Sunday.
The game to be played in an empty stadium due to coronavirus restrictions remained on schedule as league and team officials monitored the conditions. Essentially, it all came down to the safety of the players and staff.
“My understanding is, if it gets to 200, that’s when the NFL will start really discussing what to do with the game,” said 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan.
On a scale of 0 to 500, the air quality in Santa Clara around 1 p.m was at 171, according to Air Now. And while that's said to be unhealthy for everyone, it was acceptable enough to play.