Rodgers calls for NFL review of Buccaneers' field — SkimNews
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- Aaron Rodgers called Raymond James Stadium's surface "one of the worst playing surfaces in the league" after throwing the game-winning touchdown pass in the Steelers' overtime win over the Buccaneers, saying the NFL needs to "look at" the field
- Rodgers said he has been injured twice before on the same surface — a right (throwing) shoulder in 2008 and a calf muscle in Week 16 of 2014 — and stated the turf "was a factor both times," though neither injury caused him to miss a game
- Last year, Rodgers labeled Pittsburgh's own home field "borderline unplayable" after kicker Chris Boswell lost his footing on a field-goal attempt; the Steelers replaced the surface the following week (a swap the team had already planned)
- Raymond James Stadium uses natural grass and shares its playing field with the University of South Florida, per the source
- NFLPA president JC Tretter has lobbied for playing-surface standards since 2020 and in 2022 called for an immediate ban on specific slit-film turf surfaces, which several teams subsequently removed from their stadiums
- Rodgers is in his 22nd and final NFL season; the Steelers' next game is an international matchup in Paris against the Saints
Why it matters: Rodgers, now a four-time league MVP in his final season, is tying a specific venue — one that has already injured him twice — to the NFLPA's multi-year push for uniform playing-surface standards. His public call gives the union a high-profile, current example and puts pressure on the Buccaneers and the league to act on a natural-grass field shared with USF.
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