From the start of Super Bowl LVII, players on both squads had trouble staying upright on the new grass surface in State Farm Stadium.
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts changed his cleats in between the first and second quarter, and plenty of cleats were found along a sideline at halftime. On the final play of the game – a Hail Mary – Hurts slipped and underthrew the pass by several yards.
Elevated view of the LVII logo painted on the field prior to Super Bowl LVII between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles at State Farm Stadium on February 12, 2023 in Glendale, Arizona. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
Even Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco slipped in the end zone just before he started celebrating a touchdown.
The grass was at Oklahoma State University, and the United States Golf Association provided funding and research.
Cleats are seen on the sideline during the third quarter in Super Bowl LVII between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles at State Farm Stadium on February 12, 2023 in Glendale, Arizona. (Rob Carr/Getty Images)
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However, it seems quite clear that the grass didn’t do its job, as players were slipping left and right.
The poor conditions got fans, media, and former NFL players in an uproar.
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni didn’t seem happy with the field conditions, but wasn’t blaming his team’s loss on it.
“We both had to play on that turf,” he said after the game, via 94 WIP Radio.
Teams have made moves to improve their playing surfaces to result in less injuries, and players have called for fixes to many playing surfaces.
