Here is why both the Steelers and Browns are outraged and what to expect next.
Why Steelers, Browns share 'outrage' over Acrisure Stadium turf conditions: 'Borderline unplayable' originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Pittsburgh Steelers moved to 4-1 on the young NFL season with a Week 6 win over the Cleveland Browns, but it was not without complaints from both sides.
Typically, when both teams are upset, it is due to officiating. In the case of the Steelers and Browns, complaints stemmed directly from the playing surface at Pittsburgh's Acrisure Stadium.
Multiple reports have indicated that the NFL players' association reached out to the league regarding concerns about the field in Pittsburgh. Those concerns have prompted a response from the league and the franchise, which have said that measures to correct the problems will be taken.
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Here is why both the Steelers and Browns are outraged and what to expect next.
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Why Steelers, Browns are outraged over Acrisure Stadium turf conditions
Both teams are outraged at what has been described as an "embarrassing" playing surface at Acrisure Stadium.
Players described the playing surface as "dry," while Pittsburgh OL Broderick Jones said players "kicked up chunks of grass" by making explosive movements.
Among other complainants was Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, who said, "I thought it was poor. I'm not concerned going forward. It's my understanding that that turf is going to be swapped out, but I certainly acknowledge it was a concern [Sunday]."
One of the most notable instances of poor field conditions was a missed fourth-quarter field goal attempt from Pittsburgh kicker Chris Boswell, who slipped as he planted his foot to kick the ball.
Chris Boswell's plant foot takes out a divot roughly 2 inches into the dirt because the Steelers turf serves no master but chaos pic.twitter.com/xFEb0WO7qg
— Christian D'Andrea (@TrainIsland) October 12, 2025
Former Walter Payton Man of the Year Cam Heyward, who is the Steelers' NFLPA representative, did not mince words about the field.
"Honestly, it was s—," Heyward said, later adding that "I like grass, but that wasn't grass for playing."
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Does Acrisure Stadium have turf?
No, Acrisure Stadium does not have turf. The playing surface at Acrisure Stadium is Kentucky bluegrass, which has been the standard since 2009.
And while players prefer grass over turf, there have been great complaints about this specific surface.
"Players prefer grass fields, but all grass surfaces aren't equal," an NFLPA source said, per ESPN's Brooke Pryor.
"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."
It is worth noting that the Steelers share a stadium with the University of Pittsburgh Panthers football team; however, Pitt had not played at home since Saturday, Oct. 4. Through six weeks of the NFL season, the Steelers have played at the stadium twice, while Pitt had hosted four games at Acrisure Stadium.
As Tomlin hinted, the grass is expected to be swapped out before the Steelers' next home game.
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Acrisure Stadium turf injuries
Among Hayward's biggest complaints was that "I lost one of my teammates and kind of makes me sad about it."
In the Week 6 win over Cleveland, Miles Killebrew, Pittsburgh's special teams captain, suffered a "significant" knee injury while planting his leg in the ground during special teams coverage.
The Miles Killebrew injury. Yikes! #Steelers#NFL 🙏 pic.twitter.com/13mvI7fHuf
— Steelers Depot 7⃣ (@Steelersdepot) October 12, 2025
The extent of the damage has not been disclosed, but Killebrew was ruled out of the ensuing game, and the Steelers have been in the market for a potential replacement.
After playing four of their first six games away from home, the Steelers will play six of their final 11 games at Acrisure Stadium, including three of four games between Weeks 8 and 11.
Category: Football
