NFLPA prez upset about conditions at Soldier Field

The conditions at Soldier Field were far from ideal on Saturday. Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

NFLPA president JC Tretter on Soldier Field conditions: 'The NFL can and should do better'

By Mike Santa Barbara | Last updated 8/13/22

Soldier Field's days of hosting the Chicago Bears appear to be numbered as the team plans to build a new stadium away from the city in Arlington Heights.

Despite its history and a $632 million renovation 20 years ago, the stadium may have outlived its usefulness.

On Saturday, Soldier Field came under fire after photos showed the turf covered in divots ahead of the Bears' preseason tilt with the Kansas City Chiefs.

As more photos were shared, this prompted a response from NFLPA president JC Tretter.

The NFL said that this field met minimum testing standards. We clearly need to re-evaluate what is an acceptable surface for players to compete on. We need new testing metrics looking at the performance and safety of every field. The NFL can and should do better. pic.twitter.com/Vh1NDgLQBk
— JC Tretter (@JCTretter) August 13, 2022

After the Bears held practice at Soldier Field this week, several players shared thoughts about the field with Jason Lieser of the Chicago Sun-Times. Kicker Cairo Santos responded, "I've seen better" when describing the field conditions. Meanwhile, defensive end Robert Quinn said parts of the grass will "give a little bit," but "that's just part of Soldier Field."

Earlier this month, the Chicago Bears declined several proposals introduced by Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot to renovate Soldier Field, including adding a dome to the stadium, costing between $400 million to $1.5 billion.

In September 2021, the Bears agreed to purchase 326 acres of land, where the former Arlington Park horse racing track stands, for nearly $200 million. The Bears have also reportedly hired an architecture firm in March to begin plans for a stadium on the site.

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