Buffalo Bills' Player Offers Harsh Review of New Highmark Stadium Grass Field

While the Buffalo Bills' New Highmark Stadium opening has created plenty of excitement ahead of the 2026 season, not everyone has been a fan of the team's new venue.

Some complaints started pouring in from fans when the stadium first opened up for the "Return of the Blue & Red" practice and scrimmage on Aug. 8, with those complaints ranging from problems with the small video board to gameday costs to obstructed views of the field.

But now players are expressing their own concerns with the new stadium, and one player in particular offered up a harsh review of the field itself.

According to Tim Graham of The Athletic, an unidentified player was less than thrilled with the state of the grass on the playing field.

“The field is a** right now,” the player said. “But it’s early.”

It is early, indeed, but this is not what you want to hear from a player about a stadium that cost $2.2 billion to construct.

Bills grass — Aug 15, 2026; Orchard Park, New York, USA;Carolina Panthers wide receiver Casey Washington (88) is tackled by Buffalo Bills defensive back Te'cory Couch (33) after a catch in the fourth quarter at the New Highmark Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Linebacker Dorian Williams shared a more diplomatic review and outlook for the field, but he did point out an issue with it.

“The grass looked good,” he said. “It was cool. A couple spots kind of chunked up a little bit, but it’s better than playing on (artificial) turf.

“The kinks will keep getting worked out. You can see some of the grass kind of mound up and guys knocking it back down, but I’ve had no traction problems so far.”

Carolina Panthers running back Jonathon Brooks described the field as "a little lumpy" but thought it was "actually pretty good" overall.

While things are likely to improve as time passes, that does not change the current state of things and the fact that there will be an increased risk of injury until the Bills sort this out.

Aug 15, 2026; Orchard Park, New York, USA; A general view of the field during the second half between the Carolina Panthers and the Buffalo Bills at New Highmark Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Thankfully, the Bills seemingly escaped without any major injuries to their starters, who suited up for the preseason opener Saturday. DJ Moore and Keon Coleman both got shaken up (it didn't appear the field was the cause), but the early updates on both were positive.

"They were both good. (Coleman) and DJ were both good talking to them after," Brady said of Moore and Coleman. "Again, we'll see what the medical ends up looking like."

It remains to be seen if the Bills will deploy their starters again in preseason Week 2 or if they'll opt to keep them sidelined. We are guessing Buffalo will take the latter approach with a joint practice with the Cleveland Browns on Thursday.

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