Morry Gash / AP

Guard Peter Marrah stands outside Sun Life Stadium, the site of NFL football Super Bowl XLIV, on Monday. Steady rain forced the NFL to take the unusual step of moving its annual Super Bowl media day Tuesday from the field at Sun Life Stadium to the indoor concourse area.

“I wouldn’t say anything is delayed,” he said. “I’d say work continues, and weather is one more factor built into the preparation.”

The weather made South Florida’s daunting traffic even more sluggish. The team hotels and practice sites are separated by drives of up to an hour — sometimes more — and while the Colts and Saints are whisked about with police escorts, getting around is more arduous for fans, volunteers, league officials and the media.

“We’re a regional effort, and we need to spread it around,” said Rodney Barreto, chairman of the South Florida Super Bowl host committee. “It’ll be judged afterward whether it really works out.”

Tourism officials said the wet weather didn’t tarnish the Pro Bowl, which was moved from Hawaii as a one-year experiment and drew the largest crowd for the game since 1959. But the stadium was half empty by the third quarter.

The Super Bowl is in Miami for the 10th time, the most of any city. Although the rain may not dampen visitors’ enthusiasm for South Florida, the NFL says the Dolphins’ 22-year-old stadium needs upgrades, raising concerns about the region’s attractiveness as a site of future games.

The Dolphins have proposed adding a roof that would cover fans as part of stadium improvements that could cost $250 million or more. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell says the upgrades would help South Florida remain competitive in bidding for future Super Bowls.

“They’re saying, ‘Your whiskers are getting a little long,”’ Barreto said. “I don’t think we ought to fall asleep and sit on our laurels. We should take a good look and see if there is some way to partner with the Dolphins and figure out how to get something done.”

South Florida leaders are expected to seek public money for the project. But at the moment, Barreto said, they’re focused on praying for some sunshine.