49ERS WIN, HEAD OUT OF TOWN
SANTA CLARA — The 49ers are taking their ball and going to a new home in Arizona.
State Farm Stadium in Glendale will host the 49ers’s next two games, because of Santa Clara County’s health directive banning contact sports over at least the next three weeks amid a COVID-19 surge.
The 49ers, on the Arizona Cardinals’ field, will play next Monday night against the Buffalo Bills and then vs. Washington on Sunday, Dec. 13.
The 49ers (5-6) have yet to announce where they will move their practices and, essentially, their entire operations with the potential of not returning to their Santa Clara facility the rest of the season.
“The biggest thing for me is us all leaving our families. We’re all human like everyone else,” coach Kyle Shanahan said after Sunday’s 23-20 win over the host Los Angeles Rams. “It’s a huge deal to leave your family for the month of December. It’s a huge deal. This virus is a huge deal.”
Although the 49ers would like to practice this week in a nearby county outside Santa Clara County’s borders, the more likely scenario is they get a jump on their Arizona travels.
The most natural fit is to follow what the Cardinals do for training camp: Practice on fields outside State Farm Stadium and stay at a neighboring hotel, all of which offers turnkey operations to also stage meetings, distribute food and follow other quarantineneeded measures to abide by Maricopa County’s protocol.
The Cardinals’ practice facility in Tempe is not a viable option simply because the Cardinals are occupying it, but nearby college or other fields and vacancyfriendly resorts are alternatives while abiding by local health protocol.
Shanahan did not speak Monday as he normally would the day after a game, deferring to Tuesday in hopes of providing more clarity on travel plans. He did add Sunday: “I want a place that’s safe for us.”
Jed York, the 49ers’ CEO, expressed his gratitude to the Cardinals’ organization in a Monday morning tweet: “Thank you Michael Bidwell and the @AZCardinals for all of your help. Very appreciative of Arizona welcoming us during these unprecedented times.”
York also tweeted that San Diego was not a viable option despite overtures from its mayor’s office.
After their games against Buffalo and Washington, the defending NFC champion 49ers will play at the Dallas Cowboys on Dec. 20 before returning to State Farm Stadium to play the Cardinals on Dec. 26. The 49ers are to host the Seattle Seahawks in a Jan. 3 regular-season finale.
The 49ers will play as many games at State Farm Stadium in December as the Cardinals (6-5). None of their games overlap on the schedule, and their Dec. 26 meeting will be broadcast via Amazon Prime Video, Twitch and, locally, on NBC Sports Bay Area.
Although State Farm Stadium hosted 4,200 fans in the Cardinals’ past two games there, the general public is not allowed at the Cardinals’ game Sunday against the Rams because of rising COVID-19 cases in Arizona; family members of Cardinals players and staff can attend, however. It’s doubtful the 49ers will be afforded the same opportunity for Monday’s game to mitigate cross-community exposure.
State Farm Stadium has a natural-grass surface and a retractable roof. The facility, located 20 miles northwest of downtown Phoenix, opened in 2006 and was formerly named University of Phoenix Stadium.
The 49ers were stunned to learn Saturday of the county’s stricter guidelines, and Shanahan expressed “extreme disappointment” over that decision, which had the 49ers and their families scrambling for answers before and after Sunday’s win.