Browns player appears to confirm season opener in Brazil against Eagles

Cleveland Browns defensive tackle Maurice Hurst II might not be the best guy to share a secret with if you want to keep it safe.

The lineman appeared to inadvertently confirm the Browns are the mystery team that will face the Philadelphia Eagles to open the 2024 NFL season in São Paulo, Brazil. Set for Friday, Sept. 6, it will be the first NFL game in South America.

The Eagles were announced as the game’s host team in early February, leaving everyone to wonder who they would play. The Browns emerged in rumors just a couple of weeks later, but those reports remain unconfirmed.

But Hurst might have given fans the answer. Hurst, who recently re-signed with Cleveland, appeared Monday on ESPN Cleveland’s show Cleveland Browns Daily to talk about his new deal.

The talk turned to how Hurst and the rest of the defensive line should have a trip together to bond. Hurst was asked where they’d go if he were organizing the trip.

“Well, I mean we are playing in Brazil this year. We could just do a little Rio trip out there,” Hurst said.

It’s possible that Hurst, like everyone else, had just heard the rumors about the Browns heading to Brazil and jokingly threw that into his conversation. But his response seemed genuine, and he mentioned it as if everyone already knew all the details.

If the Browns are headed to South America, they need a hype post to match the one the Eagles produced when they were announced.

https://twitter.com/Eagles/status/1754647491213951227

The game will mark the first time an NFL team has opened its season on a Friday night in more than 50 years.

Some fans gave Hurst a shoutout for apparently confirming the rumors, while others wonder how that slipped out, or even why it had not already been revealed.

UPDATE: Hurst tweeted after his comments made news that he didn’t have confirmation about the trip to Brazil, but it still would not be a shock if and when the news is eventually confirmed.

[Nick Karns; ESPN Cleveland]