Saints plan Sunday flight to Paris while Steelers prepare to leave Thursday

New Orleans plans to head to Paris on Sunday night. Pittsburgh intends to leave Thursday. The teams are taking different approaches to their preparation week while the NFL maintains its October 25 game at Stade de France amid protests in France.

ESPN reported Sunday that the Saints would travel after their game against the Giants in New Jersey, giving them most of the week in France. The Steelers plan to practice in Pittsburgh before making the trip later in the week.

Neither itinerary has been replaced by an announced postponement or venue change. The NFL said Sunday that preparations were continuing and that it was working with local authorities and partners on operations and security, according to ESPN and Front Office Sports.

The Saints also said members of their football operations and security staff had already been in France for several days. Spokesman Greg Bensel said the organization was receiving daily security updates and had experienced no disruption at team sites.

Adam Schefter posted Bensel's statement Sunday:

The distinction matters as the clubs prepare to practice overseas. New Orleans is approaching its scheduled departure with personnel already on the ground; Pittsburgh's reported plan keeps its early-week practices at home. The league says it is providing both clubs with regular updates.

The game is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Eastern on October 25 and will be the NFL's first regular-season game in France. Sunday's statements followed demonstrations and clashes with police across the country on Saturday.

The NFL's current plan still puts the Saints and Steelers at Stade de France next Sunday. Their preparation weeks begin with different travel schedules and the same commitment to proceed with the game.