An uncertainty for the 2026 season in Highmark -- Will the new turf work out?

[SoonerBillsFan]

On 7/1/2026 at 11:50 AM, boater said:

We just don't know what to expect from a turf situation. We can make educated guesses, but that's about it.

 

The field

 

It's an entirely new installation, operated by an inexperienced crew (unless they hired some ringers). I looked at similar fields/climates for comparison:

 

• Pittsburgh: heated field, NFLPA F grade, controversial for being a poor surface in 2025, "borderline unplayable" in response, it was reseeded in 2026
• Green Bay: heated field, C grade, "slippery and unpredictable"
• Cleveland: heated field, B grade, I couldn't find many comments on it--maybe that is a good reflection

 

It seems we want to avoid a Pittsburgh type situation. That would be embarrassing after a $2 billion spending spree. I don't know the specifics in Pitt, but Highmark might have an edge due to what sounds like better technology: "high-tech sub-surface heating and drainage network, UV grow lights, and sub-air ventilation." So, we shall see.

 

Injuries

 

The common expectation is fewer injuries, or injuries of less severity. It's better on the lower extremities. The concussions are less severe. It seems to me that there would be a decrease in "non-contact injuries" which have been the bane of the Bills. A net plus from a competitive stand point.

 

The play

 

• Passing: Grass requires quarterbacks to plant deeper, as the ground can be softer. Deep passes may take a fraction of a second longer to release due to less stable footing
• Rushing, Receiving, Secondary: Breaks won't be as explosive, cuts won't be as crisp, footwork may need adjustment
• Kicking: Can be unpredictable; wet weather, divots, and worn-out areas near the hash marks can alter a kicker's plant foot and trajectory. Turf kickers have higher accuracy records. 
• The lines: "On natural grass, a lineman's first explosive step slightly tears up the turf, which absorbs some of the raw physical impact. Because of this, drive-blocking on dirt or sod requires a slightly wider, lower base to maintain anchor" It's a technique change. I don't expect professional athletes to have a problem coping with that.

 

It just seems the game may be just a tad slower. But I don't think that will make a competitive difference either way. After all, the same field conditions apply to both teams.

 

 

Overall... if it doesn't become a mud bowl mess in December/January, life is good.

 

 

 

It will be fine.  Mud in December and January is awesome!

 

But they put tons into this field and I think its gonna be great

[Gregg]

Not just the field but I wonder how much of a factor the wind will play into these games at the new stadium. We know the wind could be brutal at the old stadium.

[Buffalo03]

20 minutes ago, Gregg said:

Not just the field but I wonder how much of a factor the wind will play into these games at the new stadium. We know the wind could be brutal at the old stadium.

I saw a video not too long ago where Josh was at the new stadium and a guy was explaining to him that with the way the stadium was designed the wind shouldn't really be much of a factor

[eball]

3 hours ago, Gregg said:

Not just the field but I wonder how much of a factor the wind will play into these games at the new stadium. We know the wind could be brutal at the old stadium.

 

3 hours ago, Buffalo03 said:

I saw a video not too long ago where Josh was at the new stadium and a guy was explaining to him that with the way the stadium was designed the wind shouldn't really be much of a factor

Not trying to be a smartass, but the wind issue has been discussed at length in the stadium thread. The perforated panels deflect and “confuse” the wind entering the stadium, resulting in at least a 50% reduction in wind on the field and in the stands. It won’t cut it to zero, but the difference is significant. 

 

Edited July 2 by eball

[Gregg]

3 minutes ago, eball said:

 

Not trying to be a smartass, but the wind issue has been discussed at length in the stadium thread. The perforated panels deflect and “confuse” the wind entering the stadium, resulting in at least a 50% reduction in wind on the field and in the stands. It won’t cut it to zero, but the difference is significant. 

 

 

Hopefully it isn't a factor, but we will see. It's one thing to discuss the wind issue but we will see how it plays out this fall on a real windy day which as we all know happens a lot in WNY.

[Don Otreply]

9 hours ago, Mr. WEO said:

How many Bills injuries occurred in game on artificial turf fields?

Our favorite Ped acquisitions Achilles tear last season, could be wrong…

[Mr. WEO]

11 minutes ago, Don Otreply said:

Our favorite Ped acquisitions Achilles tear last season, could be wrong…

 

Von was a juicer. Leads to injuries.

[Jay_Fixit]

6 hours ago, eball said:

Yeah, this thread is a whole lot of nonsense. The Bills just installed the most modern, state-of-the-art grass field system around and people are acting like it’s a “question mark.”

 

Good grief. 
 

Makes me want a thread about a schedule release. 

[stevewin]

1 hour ago, eball said:

 

Not trying to be a smartass, but the wind issue has been discussed at length in the stadium thread. The perforated panels deflect and “confuse” the wind entering the stadium, resulting in at least a 50% reduction in wind on the field and in the stands. It won’t cut it to zero, but the difference is significant. 

 

I saw a recent interview with Radecic and he commented that they've been measuring the wind inside the stadium and it has typically been closer to 1/3 the wind outside which I think exceeded their initial expectations

[Doctor Duck]

8 hours ago, BillsVet said:

Middle of the summer, wonderful weather, and....

 

People worried about the turf?

 

Time to get outside. 

So you mean...touch grass?

[Just Jack]

18 hours ago, DJB said:

I hear it’s much more fun to play duck duck goose on grass vs turf

 

10 hours ago, first_and_ten said:

You haven't lived until you play duck duck goose on a grass field

 

Have you seen the new theory on how to win? Most people will do several ducks in a row until picking goose. Instead, when it's your turn, immediately pick goose. The person you pick won't be expecting it, since it's too early in the turn. 

[UConn James]

4 hours ago, Doctor Duck said:

So you mean...touch grass?

Touch moss!

 

[Sierra Foothills]

https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/acrisure-stadium-has-gotten-its-new-grass-surface

 

"Not all grass field are the same.

 

While NFL players overwhelmingly prefer grass to artificial turf, they want high-quality grass. At Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, the grass has not been high-quality.

 

While it’s come a long way from the Punt That Didn’t Bounce Of 2007, last year’s surface was an embarrassment for the Steelers and the league. (It doesn’t help that Pitt plays there, too, and that on multiple weekends the field had Saturday and Sunday games.)

Via Jack Markowski of SI.com, a new surface has been installed at Acrisure Stadium. Precision Turf announced on Wednesday that the installation of Tahoma 31 Bermudagrass has been completed.

 

Earlier this year, Steelers owner Art Rooney II acknowledged that the grass field, which drew an F-minus in the annual NFLPA report cards, would be replaced. He also left the door open to a potential switch to artificial turf, if the new version doesn’t perform as intended.

 

The players would hate that. But they’d hate it less than another bad grass surface in Pittsburgh."

 

[T master]

I think it will be fine because this is suppose to be the most up to date tech of any field in the entire league & for what they paid for this & will pay for those to understand what needs to be done to keep this surface in game shape it better be the best .

 

Plus I think the players do like grass better & the injury thing has been a thorn in the Bills side for the last 2+ years so I hope this will be 1 part of the new stadium that keeps our team healthy to make a difference at the end of the year to bring the trophy to B/lo !!

[US Egg]

So the big question should be ‘will the turf cost us a championship’? 😜

[SoMAn]

On 7/2/2026 at 4:36 AM, Ray Stonada said:

Great update. Less knee, ankle, ACL and Achilles injuries sounds awesome.

I believe I read somewhere that following data analysis, there’s not any significant injury differences between grass and artificial surfaces. It’s a violent contact sport in which injuries will occur regardless. 

[UConn James]

13 hours ago, Sierra Foothills said:

https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/acrisure-stadium-has-gotten-its-new-grass-surface

 

"Not all grass field are the same.

 

While NFL players overwhelmingly prefer grass to artificial turf, they want high-quality grass. At Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, the grass has not been high-quality.

 

While it’s come a long way from the Punt That Didn’t Bounce Of 2007, last year’s surface was an embarrassment for the Steelers and the league. (It doesn’t help that Pitt plays there, too, and that on multiple weekends the field had Saturday and Sunday games.)

Via Jack Markowski of SI.com, a new surface has been installed at Acrisure Stadium. Precision Turf announced on Wednesday that the installation of Tahoma 31 Bermudagrass has been completed.

 

Earlier this year, Steelers owner Art Rooney II acknowledged that the grass field, which drew an F-minus in the annual NFLPA report cards, would be replaced. He also left the door open to a potential switch to artificial turf, if the new version doesn’t perform as intended.

 

The players would hate that. But they’d hate it less than another bad grass surface in Pittsburgh."

 

 

Doesn't mention any improvements underneath wrt drainage or anything, so this is likely just putting lipstick on a dead pig. A different grass blend will have minimal effect on the realities that field faces.

 

An article within the link states that the lease expires in 2030 and the Steelers / UPitt will have to make decisions by that time. IIRC, their stadium is only 25-30 years old... but about the same as the Titans and Jags are now replacing. Our stadium just cost $1.7B and if it only lasts that long until TPegs or his heirs deem they need another new build, WNY will not receive that well.

The solution in Pitt may be to use the real grass tray systems I've read about in other stadiums. Or just continue to live with the mud field or keep re-sodding the thing every month? Goes to show that it's worth it to do the thing properly with the underground systems than to keep having to redo the sod or switch to artificial, which the article mentioned would be the next resort.

[bigK14094]

On 7/1/2026 at 12:50 PM, boater said:

We just don't know what to expect from a turf situation. We can make educated guesses, but that's about it.

 

The field

 

It's an entirely new installation, operated by an inexperienced crew (unless they hired some ringers). I looked at similar fields/climates for comparison:

 

• Pittsburgh: heated field, NFLPA F grade, controversial for being a poor surface in 2025, "borderline unplayable" in response, it was reseeded in 2026
• Green Bay: heated field, C grade, "slippery and unpredictable"
• Cleveland: heated field, B grade, I couldn't find many comments on it--maybe that is a good reflection

 

It seems we want to avoid a Pittsburgh type situation. That would be embarrassing after a $2 billion spending spree. I don't know the specifics in Pitt, but Highmark might have an edge due to what sounds like better technology: "high-tech sub-surface heating and drainage network, UV grow lights, and sub-air ventilation." So, we shall see.

 

Injuries

 

The common expectation is fewer injuries, or injuries of less severity. It's better on the lower extremities. The concussions are less severe. It seems to me that there would be a decrease in "non-contact injuries" which have been the bane of the Bills. A net plus from a competitive stand point.

 

The play

 

• Passing: Grass requires quarterbacks to plant deeper, as the ground can be softer. Deep passes may take a fraction of a second longer to release due to less stable footing
• Rushing, Receiving, Secondary: Breaks won't be as explosive, cuts won't be as crisp, footwork may need adjustment
• Kicking: Can be unpredictable; wet weather, divots, and worn-out areas near the hash marks can alter a kicker's plant foot and trajectory. Turf kickers have higher accuracy records. 
• The lines: "On natural grass, a lineman's first explosive step slightly tears up the turf, which absorbs some of the raw physical impact. Because of this, drive-blocking on dirt or sod requires a slightly wider, lower base to maintain anchor" It's a technique change. I don't expect professional athletes to have a problem coping with that.

 

It just seems the game may be just a tad slower. But I don't think that will make a competitive difference either way. After all, the same field conditions apply to both teams.

 

 

Overall... if it doesn't become a mud bowl mess in December/January, life is good.

 

 

 

I miss the days of the muddy fields so bad you couldn't read the numbers on the players.  (NOT)

[Einstein]

On 7/2/2026 at 7:54 AM, Mr. WEO said:

How many Bills injuries occurred in game on artificial turf fields?

2025: 4.8 turf vs 6.7 grass
2024: 4.1 turf vs 3.0 grass
2023: 2.7 turf vs 1.2 grass

PS, this is ALL injuries. Not just debilitating injuries.

Per game

[Rubes]

22 hours ago, Mr. WEO said:

 

Von was a juicer. Leads to injuries.

 

I thought he meant Hoecht? (Same conclusion)