Players from the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns both expressed “outrage” to the NFL Players’ Association over the condition of Acrisure Stadium’s playing surface during the Steelers’ 23-9 win over the Browns in Week 6, according to ESPN. Players expressed their concerns over poor field conditions, as the grass field was said to be “dry” and multiple players reported kicking up chunks of the field upon making explosive movements.
The field conditions wound up having a visible impact on Sunday’s game, as Steelers kicker Chris Boswell missed a field goal attempt in the fourth quarter after slipping on the turf. The Steelers also lost special teams ace Miles Killebrew to a significant non-contact knee injury, which he suffered as he planted on the turf.
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin had acknowledged concerns over the playing field, saying Monday that he believed the conditions were “poor” but noting that the field was to be swapped out following the game. Arcisure Stadium’s field, which is shared by the Steelers and the University of Pittsburgh, had already been scheduled to be re-sodded after the game.
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Playing fields have been a hot button labor issue among NFL players, as players have generally pushed for more grass fields as opposed to synthetic turf surfaces, which have been blamed for major injuries given how synthetic turf can be far more difficult on players’ bodies than natural, more forgiving grass. However, an NFLPA spokesperson noted to ESPN that “all grass surfaces aren’t equal,” as illustrated by the conditions at Acrisure Stadium on Sunday.
“The conditions at Acrisure Stadium underscore why players have pushed for high-quality grass fields, and why the NFLPA continues to push for improved, shared maintenance practices of grass fields across the league,” the source noted. “… The NFLPA is advocating to establish better leaguewide standards and pushing the NFL for more surface-specific data in order to ensure that our members are playing on the best possible field surfaces, no matter if it’s grass or turf.”
Amid the outcry over Acrisure’s playing surface, NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy said Wednesday that the league “has been in touch with both the union and the club, which has taken steps to replace the grass surface.”
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