Leading up to the Cardinals’ preseason game against the Broncos on Friday, HC Sean Payton subtly critiqued the field conditions at State Farm Stadium
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Sean Payton, who had interviewed with the Cardinals before accepting a position with the Broncos a few months ago, highlighted that the stadium has gained notoriety due to its persistent issues.
Per Cardinals’ insider Howald Balzer:
“We’ll go out as best as can ahead of the game and get an idea of which shoes to wear. They had trouble with the Super Bowl there. I don’t know if it’s the same field. I know they practice there all during training camp. My experience with that field is that it has always been a fast and firm track. It may not always be green because they are getting so much work on it, but it’s always been a good, firm surface that you can run on. We’ll pay attention to it when we get there. If we have to change what we are wearing, then that is part of the deal.”
For reference, following Super Bowl 57, Philadelphia Eagles players ripped into the field conditions at State Farm Stadium.
Eagles tackle Jordan Mailata even described the conditions as “like playing on a water park.”
Players on the Chiefs sideline commented on the problem as well. From The Athletic, “Frank Clark called the field conditions ‘kind of terrible’ and said as the game unfolded, he just started digging his feet into the turf to help his footing because he was slipping so much.”
While the Cardinals have recently stated that upgrades to the turf have been implemented, it’s understandable that players and coaches throughout the league may still harbor doubts.
Kickoff for the Cardinals first preseason game is tomorrow night at 7 p.m.
