Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers said Friday that the NFL would have canceled Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints in Paris if officials believed conditions were unsafe, as protests and severe weather disrupted preparations for the historic matchup.

The game is scheduled for Stade de France in Saint-Denis, about six miles from Place de la Bastille, where demonstrations are expected to begin Saturday. France experienced some of its worst urban unrest in years last weekend, prompting President Emmanuel Macron to tighten restrictions on protests Thursday amid concerns that new demonstrations could turn violent.

Rodgers, a four-time NFL Most Valuable Player, said he was confident the game would proceed as planned.

“I definitely think that the NFL is alert to what's going on,” Rodgers said at a Friday press conference. “This game means a lot to the NFL. If it was unsafe, then I'm sure we wouldn't be here.”

The unrest has overshadowed the NFL’s first regular-season game in Paris. The Steelers announced Thursday that a fan event called “Steelers House,” planned for the Bastille neighborhood, would not take place.

The U.S. State Department also issued a security alert Thursday night, urging American citizens to avoid demonstrations and areas experiencing unrest. The department specifically advised Americans traveling to Paris for the Sunday, Oct. 25, game to exercise caution and remain aware of their surroundings.

Severe weather has added to the disruptions. Storm Austen brought strong winds and rain to parts of France, leading the national weather agency, Météo-France, to issue orange weather alerts across much of the country’s northwest, including the Paris region.

The Steelers arrived in France Friday morning and had planned to practice at Stade de France before holding a press conference. The team canceled the training session because of the weather and moved its press conference to its Paris hotel.

The Saints, who arrived Monday, have been practicing in Versailles. The team announced that adverse wind and rain conditions, in coordination with local authorities, would prevent media members from viewing Friday’s practice.

The NFL also closed its NFL Experience Paris fan event for the remainder of Friday because of the weather, instructing visitors not to attend the site.

Despite the disruptions, the Steelers and Saints remain scheduled to play Sunday as French authorities prepare for another round of demonstrations and weather conditions continue to affect events across the region.