Miami Dolphins News: NFL Reaches Decision for Dolphins vs. Buccaneers Game

On Wednesday morning, the NFL announced that the Week 1 opener between the Miami Dolphins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers will not be played in Miami at Hard Rock Stadium due to the potential impact of Hurricane Irma.

According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the game is rescheduled for Week 11 on Nov. 19, which was originally supposed to be a bye week for both teams.

The Dolphins addressed the situation on their team website:

“Due to the potential impact of Hurricane Irma on South Florida, the Miami Dolphins home game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, originally scheduled for Sunday at 1 p.m. ET at Hard Rock Stadium, will instead be played in Week 11 on Sunday, November 19, the NFL announced today,” the Dolphins said in a statement. “The NFL announced yesterday that in the interest of public safety in light of the continuing state of emergency, the league, in consultation with state and local officials as well as both clubs, would not play an NFL game in South Florida this week. Your tickets and parking for this Sunday’s game will remain valid for the rescheduled game at Hard Rock Stadium November 19 against the Buccaneers at 1:00pm. Please take all necessary precautions to stay safe during the storm. The entire Dolphins organization wishes you the best during this important time. We will email you with more information as soon as the storm passes.”

Both the Dolphins and Bucs will now have to play 16 straight games beginning Week 2 of the 2017-18 NFL regular season. The Dolphins will have to wait until Oct. 8 to play their first game at Hard Rock Stadium when they host the Tennessee Titans.

The Dolphins open up their season on Sept. 17 when they travel to take on the Los Angeles Chargers at StubHub Center, with kickoff set for 4:05 p.m. ET.