FAA Investigating Drone Incursion at Thursday Night NFL Game

The incident was the latest in a series of drone-related intrusions over American pro sports stadiums, worrying NFL officials and U.S. lawmakers alike.

Jack Daleo

Friday, November 17, 2023 at 04:14 PM ET

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A game at M&T Bank Stadium, home to the Baltimore Ravens, was halted twice because of a rogue drone. [Courtesy: Joey Pulone/Baltimore Ravens]

Key Takeaways:

Drone incursions are increasingly disrupting NFL games, including a recent game halted twice, and pose significant safety and security threats from potential collisions or malicious payloads.
Despite existing FAA regulations prohibiting drones near stadiums, enforcement is challenging, and the federal government's limited authority to counter rogue drones is set to expire soon.
The NFL and lawmakers are urging Congress to pass bipartisan legislation that would renew federal counter-drone powers and extend mitigation authority to state and local law enforcement.

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Close to two years ago, an unwelcome visitor to an NFL playoff game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Oakland (now Las Vegas) Raiders briefly drew fans’ eyes away from the action on the playing field and up to the skies. The culprit? A small drone.

Perhaps the Bengals are simply unlucky. Because this week, the team’s game against its divisional rival the Baltimore Ravens on Amazon Prime Video’s Thursday Night Football was halted not just once, but twice, by another drone. The stoppage was the latest in a rising number of drone-related incursions at NFL stadiums that have worried league officials and U.S. lawmakers alike.