Browns players sound off on Acrisure Stadium's playing surface in Sunday's loss

Grass or Turf? Which is the best to play the game of football on? Most players have agreed in recent years that natural grass is a better surface for the game, as some artificial turf fields have been deemed the cause of several injuries.

Specifically in the Meadowlands in New York, as some high-profile players have been injured at MetLife Stadium. Most recently, it was star wide receiver Malik Nabers and Jalen Phillips from the Dolphins, who were both great players with season-ending injuries at MetLife, and, of course, Aaron Rodgers in 2023.

This week, though, the complaints did not come from a surface that used artificial turf; they came from Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh on Sunday.

The Browns took on the Steelers in Pittsburgh on Sunday, and to say the field conditions were subpar would be an understatement. The middle of the field, where the hashes are, was completely beaten up and looked like dead grass. So much so that the CBS broadcast crew of Ian Eagle, J.J. Watt, and Evan Washburn mentioned it during the game, saying that the sod of the field would be replaced soon.

Acrisure Stadium also hosts the University of Pittsburgh Panthers' home football games, but oddly enough, the last time either the Panthers or Steelers played at home was when Pitt hosted Boston College on October 4th. The last home game for the Steelers in Acrisure was back on September 14th against the Seahawks.

You saw the damage that the surface caused, as the Browns' tight end, David Njoku, was injured multiple times and ultimately left the game with a knee injury. Offensive tackle Cam Robinson also sustained a knee injury on Sunday.

Cleveland wasn’t the only team that suffered from the inferior playing surface, as Steelers safety & special teams ace Miles Killebrew left the game with a serious non-contact knee injury that will take a while to recover from.

Players from both teams were outraged at the surface, Cam Heyward saying, “Honestly, it was s**t, I lost one of my teammates, it kind of makes me sad about it. I like grass, but that wasn’t grass for playing.”

Steelers offensive lineman Broderick Jones added that they “Kicked up chunks of grass” when making fast movements. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin also said that the field conditions were poor on Sunday and that it was a concern during the game.

Ultimately, it was very disappointing that the surface was that bad for an NFL game; players should not be more likely to get injured based on how well the field is holding up. There is enough risk of injury in the rest of football for the players to be concerned about the field. The sod at Arcisure is being replaced soon, and we hope it’s now safer for the players.