Experts Rip Bills for Highmark Stadium Turf Issues That Put Josh Allen in Harm's Way

Industry experts did not mince words about the Buffalo Bills' early issues with the grass at Highmark Stadium.

The view of the field at Highmark Stadium from section C208 before the Buffalo Bills vs the Carolina Panthers preseason game on August 15, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

There have been no shortage of complaints about the field at the Buffalo Bills' new Highmark Stadium.

After just two preseason games, it was abundantly clear that the playing surface, which is natural grass and was coming up in chunks during games, just wasn't good enough.

“The field is a** right now,” an unnamed player told The Athletic last month. “But it’s early.”

While other players were a bit more diplomatic, the general sense was the same: the Bills need to fix the situation before the season starts, and thankfully they're going to do just that, the team announced on Sept. 3.

Experts rip Bills for grass issues

In the meantime, experts in the industry are not mincing words about the blunder at the new Highmark Stadium.

“That’s the worst sod I’ve seen in the NFL in my career. I can’t even imagine how that could have happened," an award-winning sports agronomist told The Athletic's Tim Graham.

There's actually someone nicknamed "The Sodfather" walking this Earth and he weighed-in on what transpired at the Bills' home field.

“That hurts me,” George Toma said. “That’s terrible to happen at all, but so soon? Somebody fell asleep.”

Aug 15, 2026; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) avoids a tackle by Carolina Panthers defensive lineman Trevis Gipson (52) in the first quarter at the New Highmark Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The common argument from proponents of natural grass is that it is safer for players, something quarterback Josh Allen and many others believe.

"Grass is healthier for our bodies. I'm at a point in my career now that when we practice inside on the artificial (truf), I can feel it the next day," Allen said. "When we're outside, I feel great, and I think any guy that was honest would tell you that's how they feel. I think it's healthier injury prevention."

Former Cleveland Browns assistant head groundskeeper and sports management professor at Baldwin University, Tony Dick, agrees with that belief, but only when the field is done right.

“But if you have the situation like you have in Buffalo — and I went back and watched the film — you cannot tell me that field was safer than the artificial turf they just left," Dick said.

Dick went on to note that he is "never putting Josh Allen on a field in that condition."

What changes will Bills make

The field seen from field level during a media tour of the new Highmark Stadium, home of the Buffalo Bills, Tuesday, June 23, 2026 in Orchard Park. The field is real grass, with an outer ring of artificial turf. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Bills announced on Sept. 3 that they are putting in new grass at the stadium ahead of the home opener, which is absolutely the right move. Whether or not they successfully pull it off remains to be seen, but we're at least a bit skeptical after the initial debacle.

"We chose to re-sod because we were not happy with the way the current field was performing," Aaron Ramella, the Bills' senior director of fields and grounds, explained. "Until we can get a full season of play on the field, we will continually be learning and correcting what we do to the field."

The expectation all along was that the grass would have to be replaced during the season, as is normal with these playing surfaces.

However, the fact that it had to be replaced this quickly is a different story and shouldn't be happening.

"We knew eventually we were going to have to replace the grass. It was a little bit sooner than we had hoped, but this isn't a surprise for us. We knew eventually the grass was going to break down," Ramella said.

When it comes to the difference in the sod the Bills used last time and what they will use in the second iteration, it's all about the thickness.

"The main difference is the sod," Ramella said. "It's a little thicker cut than what we installed before."

So, why was the field tearing and coming up in chunks?

"The roots were growing down into the soil without creating the same level of horizontal connection between plants, making portions of the surface more susceptible to tearing and coming up in chunks," Alec White of BuffaloBills.com explained.

May 21, 2019; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) throws a pass during organized team activities | USA TODAY Sports

This isn't the Bills' first rodeo with a grass field. After all, both of the team's practice fields are natural grass, also, so one would assume they'll figure this problem out, although to be quite honest, they probably should've had it squared away before the first game played at the stadium in the preseason.

Hopefully the second time is the charm for the Bills, who need to figure this problem out before Sept. 17.

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