Steelers' Acrisure Stadium Should Easily Meet New NFL Quality Standards By 2028

The Pittsburgh Steelers put a statement win on their season in Week 14, defeating the Baltimore Ravens 27-22 on the road. It was a game that saw the Black and Gold take the lead in the AFC North heading into a critical Week 15 matchup, at home, against the Miami Dolphins. This is another game Pittsburgh needs to win to keep the momentum going strong to end the year. This game being at home will be one of the biggest advantages for the Steelers, not just because the Dolphins are one of the worst teams at playing in cold weather (going 0-5 when the temperature is under 40 degrees Fahrenheit), but because the home crowd will be able to pour into Acrisure Stadium to support the team.

The amount of fans in Acrisure Stadium against the Dolphins could serve to either motivate the team, or contain a meltdown on the level of the anger in the collapse in Week 13. Even with the advantages to playing at home revolving around the fans, there are other motivating factors that can come from the home field. Specifically, the playing surfaces at stadiums can serve as a huge advantage, as some of these conditions can help the players be more comfortable, leading to better performances on the field. 

As it pertains to Acrisure Stadium, insider Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette recently discussed his beliefs on the NFL's new field quality mandate and how it will affect both the Steelers and other teams around the league. Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers had even made a comment that the grass field that the Ravens use at M&T Bank Stadium is one of the reasons that he felt so good and why he was able to run for a touchdown in that game -- which was something he had yet to accomplish at Acrisure Stadium with the Steelers up to that point.

In Dulac's recent article detailing how the NFL's new quality mandate for stadiums would affect certain teams, he stated something that will have mixed reactions among Steelers fans who have witnessed all types of games played at home.

"Steelers team sources told the Post-Gazette they don’t expect the requirements to be a 'big deal' for Acrisure Stadium," Dulac noted.

Dulac's comment revealed that the league likely believes that Acrisure Stadium has a surface adequate enough to ensure the Steelers don't need to make any significant changes before the start of next season. This is coming after issues had arose on this same field after the Week 5 game against the Cleveland Browns, in which Steelers kicker Chris Boswell slipped on a field goal attempt and Steelers safety Miles Killebrew suffered a non-contact season-ending injury in the first quarter. Fans, the media, and others quickly pointed to the surface at Acrisure Stadium being part of the reason that Killebrew was injured, and why Boswell missed that crucial field goal, something Boswell does not do often.

Dulac's article about the field conditions at Acrisure Stadium not being something that the team will have to worry much about going forward sit in direct contrast to what has happened during the regular season as the Steelers' players continue to make comments about the state of the playing surface while praising other surfaces in other fields around the league. With how many comments have been made about how the field surface is one of the worst for natural grass, the Steelers need to figure something out.

Steelers Need To Make Changes To Field In 2026

Even if Dulac's report that the team doesn't believe the team will need to make major changes to be compliant with the NFL's new stadium surface rules, the Steelers need to make a change regardless. The amount of injuries sustained on this field, especially being natural grass, can't be overlooked going into future seasons.

What did you think about Dulac's report that the Steelers won't need to make significant changes to Acrisure Stadium's surface? Let us know in the comments below.

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