After throwing darts during the final stages of the Steelers‘ come-from-behind win over the Buccaneers, Aaron Rodgers took a shot at Raymond James Stadium’s playing surface. Rodgers didn’t hold back when asked about the playing surface during his postgame press conference.
“It’s got to be one of the worst playing surfaces in the league. When we’re talking about player safety, that’s a real concern,” Rodgers said. “I’m thankful I didn’t get hurt today, but I’ve been injured twice on this field before, and in my opinion, the turf was a factor both times. I know USF plays here, but that surface just doesn’t feel very safe. From my perspective, it’s a field that needs to be looked at because player safety should always come first.”
Rodgers’ first injury in Tampa occurred in 2008, his first season as the Packers‘ starting quarterback. He injured his right (throwing) shoulder during a 30-21 loss. The injury did not lead to any missed time for Rodgers, who started in each of Green Bay’s 16 games that season.
In Week 16 of the 2014 season, Rodgers injured a calf muscle during a 20-3 win over the Buccaneers. Like in 2008, the injury did not sideline Rodgers, who won his second of four league MVPs that season.
Last year, Rodgers called the Steelers’ home field “borderline unplayable” following a win over the Browns in which kicker Chris Boswell lost his footing on an attempted field goal. The Steelers replaced the playing surface before their next game (which had been planned before Rodgers’ comments).
Raymond James Stadium uses natural grass and shares its field with a local college team.
NFLPA president JC Tretter has lobbied for playing surfaces since 2020. In 2022, he called for an immediate ban on specific slit-film turf surfaces. Several teams opted to remove that turf from their stadiums in subsequent fields.
Rodgers, who threw the game-winning touchdown pass in Sunday’s overtime win, is in the middle of his 22nd and final NFL season. Rodgers and the Steelers will now begin preparations for next Sunday’s international game in Paris against the Saints.
