The National Football League is urging Congress to take rapid action as drones become an increasing threat to major sports events in the United States.
With mysterious drone sightings unnerving the American public, the NFL is hoping to use the heightened attention to bolster security for its stadiums, especially with the Super Bowl just around the corner.
In February, the AFC championship game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens was temporarily halted when a drone unexpectedly soared over M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore.
Police tracked the drone from the stadium to a house about a half-mile away, where they discovered Matthew Herbert, 44, was the operator.
Welp the drones made it to @LumenField at the @Seahawks game 😳😳👇 pic.twitter.com/mPoYdPwnaF
— PNW Conservative (@UnderWashington) December 16, 2024
Herbert is looking at three years in prison for illegally operating an unregistered drone in restricted airspace.
The incident was not anywhere close to an anomaly, with a dramatic uptick in drone incursions in the last seven years.
Unauthorized drones buzzing near NFL games spiked dramatically from just 12 occurrences in 2017 to a staggering 2,800 drone incursions last year alone.
Cathy Lanier, the NFL’s senior vice president of security, called for urgent congressional action in a statement.
If Desmond Ridder was flying the mystery drones pic.twitter.com/RMJdVfkLR0
— NFL Memes (@NFLHateMemes) December 17, 2024
“Over the past several years, an increasing number of drones have flown into restricted airspace during NFL games,” she stated.
“With the nation’s attention now focused on drones, we again call on Congress to protect critical infrastructure and mass gatherings such as major sporting events.”
Despite this plea, efforts to address the issue on Capitol Hill appear stuck in limbo.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer tried to fast-track a bill aimed at helping state and local agencies deal with these drone problems but was met with opposition that stalled progress on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, New Jersey has found itself grappling with a sharp rise in unidentified drone activity in recent weeks, sparking drastic countermeasures.
Police in Nassau County have received the green light to shoot down drones hovering over large gatherings, a last-ditch effort to safeguard public safety.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has also stepped in, imposing restrictions on drone operations in over 20 towns across New Jersey, including areas like Camden, Bayonne, and Jersey City.
These rules, in effect until January 17, ban drones from flying below 400 feet within a nautical mile of designated airspace, except for first responders and specific commercial uses.
“Pilots of aircraft that do not adhere to the procedures in the national security requirements for aircraft operations contained in this section may be intercepted, and/or detained and interviewed by federal, state, or local law enforcement or other government personnel,” an FAA directive warns.
Many of the restricted zones center around critical infrastructure, such as power substations, ports, airports like Newark-Liberty International, and military installations like Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in South Jersey.
On a similar note, Spotify podcaster Joe Rogan is also uneasy about the mysterious drone sightings along the East Coast.
This is what the kids call “sus.” https://t.co/XL8a1jhDjU
— Joe Rogan (@joerogan) December 13, 2024
Rogan dismissed government explanations as suspect, quipping, “I want to believe it’s adderalled up incels holed up in a basement f****** with ‘the man’ more than I want it to be aliens,” though he lightheartedly added, “#iwanttobelieve.”
However, a recent theory from John Ferguson, CEO of Saxon Unmanned, made Rogan reevaluate his stance.
Ferguson claimed in a TikTok video that these drones might be on a mission to detect hazards like gas leaks or radioactive material.
“My belief is they’re trying to smell something on the ground—gas leak, radioactive material, whatever,” Ferguson suggested.
Rogan was clearly taken aback, captioning the clip, “This is the first video about these drones that has got me genuinely concerned.”
This is the first video about these drones that has got me genuinely concerned. https://t.co/yzRoie2lUn
— Joe Rogan (@joerogan) December 15, 2024
Yet, Ferguson himself admitted, “I don’t want to spread misinformation,” acknowledging his own theory was based on speculation.
Nonetheless, he insisted, “The only reason why you would ever fly an unmanned aircraft at night is if you’re looking for something.”