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It wasn’t just players from the Cleveland Browns who were frustrated with the playing surface at Acrisure Stadium last Sunday – some of the Pittsburgh Steelers have a bone to pick with their home field.
Players from both teams have reportedly expressed their “outrage” over the “embarrassing” turf field at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh to the NFL Players Association, according to ESPN.
“The NFLPA has conveyed its concern to the NFL and will work to ensure players are not put in that position going forward,” the source said Wednesday.
Steelers offensive lineman Broderick Jones was among the players who called out on the field, saying the dry conditions would lead to “kicked pieces of grass” when trying to make explosive moves.
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Dillon Gabriel of the Cleveland Browns is sacked by Nick Herbig of the Pittsburgh Steelers during the fourth quarter of the game at Acrisure Stadium on October 12, 2025 in Pittsburgh. (Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
There was also a clear moment where the field struggled against the home team when placekicker Chris Boswell visibly slipped on a field goal attempt and immediately began kicking the ground.
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The pitch was scheduled to resume after the game, but that didn’t stop the players from having their say.
“I thought it was bad,” Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said Monday of field conditions. “I’m not worried about the future. It’s my understanding that that turf will be replaced, but I certainly recognize that was a concern yesterday.”
Cameron Heyward, a Steelers defensive captain, was more blunt with his assessment.
“Honestly, it was s—,” Heyward, who also serves as an NFLPA representative, said Tuesday via ESPN. “I lost one of my teammates and it makes me a little sad.”
Chris Boswell of the Pittsburgh Steelers kicks a field goal against the Cleveland Browns in the first quarter of the game at Acrisure Stadium on Oct. 12, 2025, in Pittsburgh. (Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
Heyward is talking about special teams captain Miles Killebrew, who suffered a non-contact knee injury after planting on the turf in Sunday’s win over the Browns.
“I like grass, but it wasn’t grass for play,” Heyward said.
The NFL has repeatedly stated that there is no difference in injury rates between playing on grass or artificial turf, although players like Heyward will consistently say they prefer grass if given the choice.
The Steelers share Acrisure Stadium with the University of Pittsburgh football program, although neither team had played on the field the week before. The Steelers played just one home game all season before Sunday when they were on the road or in London before getting an early bye week.
Miles Killebrew of the Pittsburgh Steelers is helped off the field after being injured against the Cleveland Browns at Acrisure Stadium on October 12, 2025 in Pittsburgh. (Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
Sharing the stadium is nothing new for the field team, but going forward the Steelers will keep a close eye on their playing surface.
They will be on the road for “Thursday Night Football” against the Cincinnati Bengals this week before returning home for Aaron Rodgers’ reunion against his former Green Bay Packers team on Oct. 26.
