Nick Pappas’s Statement
NFL field director Nick Pappas told reporters in Brazil on Saturday that there is “no need to worry.” He said an independent inspector walked the field with him and a representative of the NFL Players Association, and that the test checked out. “We’ve made additional improvements to the field that we think were helpful,” he added.
J.J. Watt’s Caution
J.J. Watt, the CBS Sports lead color analyst calling the game, took his own photos of the surface on Sunday. He posted them online with a note of caution. “I’m giving the field the benefit of the doubt until we see reason not to, once the players are on it,” Watt wrote.
“We’ve been in regular communication with the league about the field.”
That was the message from NFLPA executive director JC Tretter, who posted on X on Friday. Tretter said the players’ union’s field experts had been on the ground in Brazil for days, monitoring conditions. He described the surface as needing “better traction and stability,” and said reinforced stitching was recommended and brought in.
The Field’s Strained Condition
The surface has been described as in bad shape because of the strain of the Brazilian league schedule. Both Flamengo and Fluminense use it for matches at least once a week, according to the Associated Press. After a recent game, Flamengo midfielder Giorgian De Arrascaeta addressed the issue, saying that “We’ve been struggling a lot in these last few games, and the field keeps getting worse.”
An update from the league states that the NFL stands at “shipped in equipment that stitch synthetic fibers in the grass for extra stability and extra traction,”.
The Games in Brazil
Sunday will be the NFL’s third game in Brazil since 2024, but the first at Maracanã Stadium. The first two were played at NeoQuimica Arena in São Paulo. In the first game played at that arena, the field conditions were widely criticized, as players from both the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers were seen changing their cleats to try and reduce slipping.
The league has declared the field ready for play. The players’ union argues the surface still requires work. The images have already appeared online, and the athletes will take the pitch shortly.
Source material: “NFL in Rio: How field conditions look before Ravens-Cowboys Week 3 matchup in Brazil,” CBS Sports.
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.