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players from pittsburgh pittsburgh steelers And cleveland browns They expressed “displeasure” and concerns to the NFL Players Association about the “disgraceful” playing surface at Acrisar Stadium last weekend, a union source told ESPN.
“The NFLPA has made its concerns known to the NFL and will work to ensure players are not put in that situation going forward,” the source said Wednesday.
Some players said that the field, which already had to be repaved after the game, was “dry”. steelers offensive lineman Broderick Jones He was one of several players who said that he “kicked out pieces of grass” when he performed explosive movements.
League spokesman Brian McCarthy said Wednesday that the NFL “has been in contact with both the union and the clubs, which have taken steps to replace the grass surface.”
“I thought it was bad [Sunday],” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said of field conditions Monday. “I’m not worried about moving forward. It’s my understanding that that field is going to be swapped, but I certainly acknowledge it was a concern yesterday.”
steelers kicker chris boswell He slipped on the turf while attempting and missed a fourth-quarter field goal, and was named special teams captain. miles killebrew He suffered a “significant” non-contact knee injury while planting on the turf.
“To be honest, it was s—,” Steelers defensive captain and NFLPA team representative cameron hayward Said on Tuesday. “I’ve lost a friend and that hurts me to some extent.”
Hayward said he still preferred a grass playing surface to a field, which Stadiums like MetLife have been investigated For high-profile injuries. But Hayward said Sunday’s field was below standard.
The league has said there was no difference in injury rates between synthetic turf and grass playing surfaces last season. There were fewer ACL injuries on synthetic surfaces than grass last season, and there has been no difference so far this year.
“I like grass, but it wasn’t grass to play on,” Hayward said.
An NFLPA source echoed Hayward’s sentiments about prioritizing grass over field playing surfaces, but emphasized that the quality of the grass matters.
“Players love grass fields, but not all grass surfaces are created equal,” the source told ESPN. “The conditions at Acrisure Stadium underscore why players have insisted on high-quality grass fields, and why the NFLPA is pushing for better, shared maintenance practices of grass fields throughout the league.”
The Steelers share a stadium with the University of Pittsburgh, but neither team had played in Acrisure the week before Sunday’s game. Pitt hosted Boston College on October 4, the Steelers’ only home game against it before the Browns game. Seattle Seahawks On 14 September.
While the Steelers only had one home game in that span, Pitt hosted four of its first five games at Acrisure. Dealing with wear and tear on the field between two teams is nothing new, but conditions have typically become significantly worse before taking the field again in the postseason.
“Players deserve the safest and highest quality workplace,” the NFLPA source said. “The NFLPA is advocating for setting better leaguewide standards and pushing the NFL for more surface-specific data to ensure our members are playing on the best possible playing surfaces, whether it’s grass or turf.”
