The Buffalo Bills are ripping out the grass at their new $2.2 billion stadium, and they’re doing it with less than three weeks left before the regular-season opener.
The move comes after the field drew plenty of attention during the preseason. In the opener against the Carolina Panthers, the turf needed widespread repairs before, during and after the game because of chunks and bald patches.
One player told The Athletic afterward, “ The field is ass right now.” Players and officials were even seen stomping large sections of Kentucky bluegrass back into place.
Thursday night’s preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t show the same level of wear, but the Bills still decided the safest route was a full re-sod before the stadium hosts its first regular-season game Sept. 17 on “Thursday Night Football” against the Detroit Lions.
“We’re committed to having the best possible playing surface for our players,” Bills president of business operations Pete Guelli said in a statement. “With a stretch of three consecutive home games early in the season, we decided it was the appropriate time to re-sod our field.
“This process will begin on Monday with full installation of a new surface completed by the end of the week. We will continue to monitor the field and every aspect of our new stadium to ensure it is the best possible experience for our players and fans.”
That message is a shift from what Guelli said two weeks ago in response to The Athletic’s reporting. At that point, he told The Associated Press there was no reason for alarm.
“From a playability and safety perspective, everybody’s very happy,” Guelli told the AP. “It’s year one.
So it’s a brand new field and it’s going to take time for the foundation to build up. So some of the things people saw in the game, those will dissipate over time.”
This season will mark the first time Buffalo has played on grass since 1972, when the team left War Memorial Stadium for its new home in Orchard Park. The current grass surface was originally installed in October 2025.
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