The Steelers left Tampa with a 26-19 overtime win on Sunday, and Aaron Rodgers didn’t leave Raymond James Stadium with much affection for the field.
After guiding Pittsburgh past the Buccaneers and dropping Tampa Bay to 1-5, Rodgers took aim at the surface in his postgame comments. He said he believed the stadium’s turf is among the league’s worst and tied it to player safety.
"It's gotta be one of the worst surfaces in the league," Rodgers said Sunday. "We're talking about player safety.
I'm very thankful to not get hurt - I've gotten hurt twice on this field, in my opinion, because of this turf. I know USF plays here, I believe.
That surface, you know, I don't think it's very safe."
Rodgers’ criticism lines up with the most recent NFLPA report card, which gave the Buccaneers’ field an F- and tied it for the worst grade in the NFL. Five teams received an F-, including three turf fields and, oddly enough, the Steelers’ own Acrisure Stadium as the only other grass field in that group.
He also pointed to the amount of wear the surface takes. USF used the stadium the day before, and the field also hosts bowl games, giving it plenty of extra traffic beyond Buccaneers games.
Sunday’s matchup was Rodgers’ seventh game at Raymond James Stadium against Tampa Bay. He improved to 3-4 there with the win, and it likely marked the final time he’ll suit up on that field.
The Buccaneers won’t be back on it next Sunday, either. Their next game is a road trip to Charlotte, where they’ll open NFC South play against the Carolina Panthers.
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