The World Cup primarily being help in football stadiums have held a mirror up to the NFL’s decision to have turf fields. Or in the case of the Pittsburgh Steelers, a questionable grass one. Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio took the team to task for substandard conditions, and wouldn’t accept the usual rationale of why Pittsburgh’s grass is so poor.
“One of the problems, frankly, with the Steelers’ grass has been they’ve been trying to do grass on the cheap,” Florio said during a Wednesday appearance on 93.7 The Fan with Andrew Fillipponi and Chris Mueller. “You gotta make the investment.
“And don’t give me the, ‘Oh, it’s the Pittsburgh climate.’ If they can do it in Green Bay, they can do it anywhere.”
Florio has routinely criticized the Steelers and NFL at large for inconsistent fields. Many teams still use turf for its more durable surface, but there are valid questions if it increases the rate of severe knee injuries. Players widely prefer grass fields, and it’s the reason why FIFA mandated them for this summer’s tournament.
Pittsburgh has vowed to keep a grass field and made the switch from Three Rivers’ Stadium turf once Heinz Field opened up in 2001. However, the team has struggled to keep the field in great playing shape. The Steelers have often been regarded as having the league’s worst grass field and often the butt of the joke when footballs literally sink into it.
Pittsburgh came under fire last year after a particularly bad outing against the Cleveland Browns. Safety Miles Killebrew tore his ACL and even Aaron Rodgers called out the unsafe conditions. Cold weather cities like Green Bay, Chicago, Baltimore, and Kansas City have managed to put out better products.
There are factors unique to Pittsburgh. The Steelers share the stadium with their college counterpart Pitt Panthers. High school championship games are also played there. Still, the NFL bar is high and the Steelers must do better to reach it. The team just laid down new grass for the 2026 season that will aim to bring improvement, but the true test will come by the end of the year.
