The Pittsburgh Steelers are going through a lot of changes in the 2026 season. The hope is that they can get rid of the old, stale ways of doing things and finally get over the hump in the postseason. All offseason and training camp long, reports have been coming out about what's different with the team, from how they train, to how they study film, to how Head Coach Mike McCarthy picks captains throughout the season. Whether these changes work or not is to be determined, but this should be a different-looking team regardless.
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Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike McCarthy (left) and quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) during 2026 training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
There is one change made that is undoubtedly a big win for the team as a whole. While making an appearance on Not Just Football, quarterback Aaron Rodgers and defensive tackle Cameron Heyward praised the Steelers for how they fixed one massive issue.
"Acrisure Stadium... up until maybe this year, has been the worst playing surface in the NFL," Rodgers said. "Preseason games were nice."
Heyward added on by agreeing with Rodgers, saying that the fields for preseason games were much better. The veteran has been around for a long time, so he knows how much the field gets beat up throughout a year. He has seen and heard all kinds of horror stories about the stadium. Now, he and the quarterback can end their careers on a much nicer playing surface.
The field was definitely a major issue throughout the 2025 season. The NFLPA report card was full of complaints about Acrisure Stadium and how unsafe it was. Everyone saw how captain Miles Killebrew tore his knee up on a non-contact play and how kicker Chris Boswell slipped on the decaying grass, despite the fact that it was Pittsburgh's second home game of the regular season.
The Steelers switched their grass type in 2026, going from Kentucky Bluegrass to Tahoma 31 Bermudagrass, which is a hybrid grass that is used in similar stadiums (like Lincoln Financial Field for the Philadelphia Eagles). Like Acrisure Stadium, the Eagles' arena also hosts a college team, but they have never had a significant complaint about their playing surface. Pittsburgh seemed to take notice.
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New Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy looks at his play sheet against the New York Jets during the third quarter at Acrisure Stadium.
As much criticism as owner Art Rooney II gets, this is one of the decisions he got right. Like us, he saw what was going on at his own home stadium. It was very clear that this was a problem that needed to be addressed as soon as possible, or else it would be extremely hard to bring in quality free agents.
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For years, Rooney has been called out for being very cheap. He was rated as the worst owner in the NFL according to the NFLPA report card. Overall, the players seemingly have very little faith that he and his family are willing to spend the money that is necessary to make the team better. From nearly every single account, this ownership group does not have the will to help the team be as great as it can be in some aspects.
Obviously, there is a lot more for Rooney to do, but this is a good start. He did not fall short on fixing the field, as he brought his up to standard with the best playing surfaces in the NFL. For as long as Acrisure Stadium stands, there should not be any negative comments coming out about this decision. There may be more to come as well.
Expectations are that the Steelers will upgrade their team facilities soon. They have recently signed a 15-year extension on their lease for the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, and part of that deal reportedly includes improvements. It won't be a total rebuild of the facility, but it should finally give the players some amenities that they have been desperate for.
What do you think about the players loving the new grass field? Let us know on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.
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