Steelers Now
PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin gave a humorous answer when asked about concerns moving forward after the Acrisure Stadium field flap against the Cleveland Browns in Week 6.
“I’m not a grass expert. I haven’t cut my own grass in a long, long time. I’m gonna stay in my lane. I don’t even know who cuts my grass,” Tomlin said.
The Steelers have already replaced the field turf for Sunday Night Football against the Green Bay Packers.
The brutal field conditions at Acrisure Stadium in Week 6 caused an uproar among Steelers and Browns players. Players from both teams expressed “outrage” and concerns to the NFL Players Association about the “embarrassing” playing surface, a union source told ESPN.
“The NFLPA has conveyed its concern to the NFL and will work to ensure that players are not put in that position going forward,” the source told ESPN.
League spokesman Brian McCarthy said last week that the NFL has “been in touch with both the union and the club, which has taken steps to replace the grass surface.”
Steelers defensive captain Cam Heyward believes that the season-ending knee injury suffered by All-Pro special teamer Miles Killebrew was caused by the poor turf conditions at Acrisure Stadium.
Killebrew was injured while covering a kickoff in the second quarter of the Steelers’ 23-9 win over the Browns in Week 6.
While running down the middle of the grass field, which showed significant wear and tear on Sunday, Killebrew was blocked from his left side by Cleveland safety Rayshawn Jenkins. As he was passing behind another Cleveland player, his right leg gave way.
Several players complained about the field conditions in the aftermath the game, most notably quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who called it “borderline unplayable.” Tomlin acknowledged that the conditions were “poor” when he spoke on Monday.
But Heyward was the first to publicly make the connection between the field conditions and Killebrew’s injury.
“Honestly, it was shit,” Heyward said last week. “I lost one of my teammates and that makes me sad about it.”
Heyward is the Steelers’ NFLPA union rep and a member of the executive committee. The player’s association has relentlessly advocated for grass fields over turf, citing increased player safety on the natural playing surface.
“I like grass, but that wasn’t grass we played on,” Heyward said.
In addition to Killebrew’s injury, the turf also caused Steelers kicker Chris Boswell to slip on his final kick attempt, and the team was fortunate that he escaped injury when he did so.
“I thought it was poor yesterday,” Tomlin said about the field conditions. “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 yesterday.”
The replaced turf at Acrisure Stadium will also see the Steelers host the Indianapolis Colts on Nov. 2, Pitt play Notre Dame on Nov. 15, and the Steelers face the Cincinnati Bengals on Nov. 16 before hosting four WPIAL championship...
