Scandal in Pittsburgh: Players furious about the Acrisure Stadium field

Outrage at Acrisure Stadium: Players Express Concerns About the Playing Field

Players from the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns expressed their “outrage” and concern to the NFL Players Association following the condition of the playing surface at Acrisure Stadium last weekend, according to a source from the association.

The NFLPA has conveyed its concern to the NFL and will work to ensure that players are not in that situation in the future.

Source from the NFLPA

Some players described the field, which was already scheduled to be replaced after the match, as “dry”. Steelers offensive lineman Broderick Jones was among those who mentioned that they “lifted up chunks of turf” during explosive movements. The league spokesman, Brian McCarthy, stated that the NFL has been in contact with the association and the club, who have taken steps to replace the grass surface. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin commented that the field conditions were “poor” on Sunday, although he did not show concern for the future, understanding that the turf would be replaced. The Steelers kicker, Chris Boswell, slipped on the turf while attempting a field goal in the final quarter, and special teams captain Miles Killebrew suffered a “significant” non-contact knee injury.

Honestly, it was a shitshow. I lost one of my teammates and that makes me sad.

Cameron Heyward, defensive captain of the Steelers

Heyward, although he prefers natural grass to artificial, which has generated criticism in stadiums like MetLife due to injuries, pointed out that Sunday’s field did not meet the standards. The league has stated that there were no differences in injury rates between synthetic and natural turf last season. There were also fewer ACL injuries on synthetic surfaces than on grass, and there have been no differences this year. An NFLPA source reiterated the preference for natural grass, but emphasized the importance of its quality.

Players prefer grass fields, but not all grass surfaces are created equal. The conditions at Acrisure Stadium underscore why players have pushed for high-quality grass fields, and why the NFLPA continues to push for the improvement and shared maintenance of grass fields across the league.

Source from the NFLPA

The Steelers share a stadium with the University of Pittsburgh, but neither team had played at Acrisure the week before Sunday’s game. Pitt hosted Boston College on October 4, while the Steelers’ only home game before the game against the Browns was against the Seattle Seahawks on September 14. While the Steelers only had one home game in that period, Pitt hosted four of their first five games at Acrisure. Managing field wear and tear between two teams is nothing new at the stadium, but conditions usually worsen much later in the season before a reseeding.

Players deserve to have the safest and highest quality workplaces. The NFLPA is advocating for establishing better standards across the league and pushing the NFL to obtain more specific data on surfaces to ensure that our members play on the best possible field surfaces, regardless of whether it is grass or artificial turf.

Source from the NFLPA