When the Kansas City Chiefs take the field on Sunday for Super Bowl 57, it won’t be the first time they’ve played at State Farm Stadium this season. It will, however, be the first time they’ve played on that specific field.
And that’s good news for Andy Reid.
The Chiefs head coach wasn’t pleased about the Cardinals’ field conditions after the Week 1 win in Arizona. In that game, kicker Harrison Butker and cornerback Trent McDuffie both suffered injuries after apparently losing their footing on the turf. Reid felt that the team was playing on loose sod — though the Cardinals argued against that claim.
State Farm Stadium is one of two NFL stadiums that slide the playing field in on a massive tray (Allegiant Stadium being the other). And according to The Arizona Republic, the NFL started growing the Super Bowl field a year ago — it won’t be the same playing surface we saw in Week 1.
Via azcentral:
The process for growing the field began one year ago when a local sod farm housed the hybrid Bermuda grass with perennial rye grass.
From there, the field was cut into roles that are 3½-feet wide and 40-feet long, They were transported onto the sliding field tray at State Farm Stadium, which was then rolled in and set in place, where it is painted with special logos for Super Bowl 57.
Butker was asked about the injury during Opening Night, and while he mostly blamed his approach as a kicker, he did mention loose grass.
Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker discussed coming back to play at State Farm Stadium, where he suffered the only injury of his NFL career earlier this season. #SBLVII pic.twitter.com/BEA3F7nYVk
— Jake Anderson (@jwa1994) February 7, 2023
He won’t have to worry about that on Sunday even if there is something to be said about the regular condition of the Cardinals’ field. It was once considered among the best playing surfaces in the league, but when the Cardinals moved their training camp from Flagstaff to the stadium in 2013, the stress of daily practices and a preseason schedule was obvious on the field by Week 1.
Thankfully, that shouldn’t be an issue come Sunday.
First Looks of Super Bowl 57 as the field nears completion! #SuperBowlLVII pic.twitter.com/ruQsixr5DP
— ᴄᴏᴅʏ ᴄᴀʀᴘᴇɴᴛɪᴇʀ (@CarpentierNFL) February 7, 2023
The field was grown specifically for this game.
