Soldier Field’s critics keep getting bigger.
The playing surface at the Bears’ home stadium drew a lot of criticism during the team’s 19-14 preseason win over the Chiefs on Saturday. Long chastised as one of the worst in the NFL, the field was filled with obvious divots and patches of missing grass. The shocking image caused many to question the stadium’s standards.
The Soldier Field grass was covered with divots. Screenshot/JC Tretter
NFL Players Association President JC Tretter echoed the objections and urged the NFL to adequately protect its players.
“The NFL said this field meets minimum testing standards,” Tretter said tweeted. “We clearly need to re-evaluate what is an acceptable surface for players to compete on. We need new test metrics that look at performance and security across all areas. The NFL can and should do better.”
The league’s oldest stadium, Soldier Field, hosted an Elton John concert the week before, which prompted the Chicago Fire to move an upcoming game out of the venue over fears of field quality.
JC Tretter detailed the quality of playing conditions at Soldier Field. Getty Images
Last week, Bears kicker Cairo Santos announced that he is scouting and training on tattered and substandard fields during the offseason to properly recreate Solider Field conditions.
“I went to a high school grass field, which was perfect,” Santos told reporters. “It was almost like, ‘Okay, I’m getting too comfortable.’ So there is a soccer field in my neighborhood and the grass is a Bermuda grass. It’s really long. I thought, ‘Okay. It’s better that way.'”