Bills to replace grass surface at Highmark Stadium ahead of home opener

The Buffalo Bills are tearing out the grass in their new $2.2 billion stadium less than three weeks before their season opener.

Widespread repairs needed to be made to chunks and bald patches before, during and after the Bills’ preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers, with one player telling The Athletic afterward, “The field is ass right now.” Players and officials had to stomp large patches of Kentucky bluegrass back into place.

The field didn’t show as much wear in Thursday night’s preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, but the team decided to make a drastic change anyway before the stadium makes its regular-season debut Sept. 17 on “Thursday Night Football” against the Detroit Lions.

“We’re committed to having the best possible playing surface for our players,” Bills president of business operations Pete Guelli said in a statement. “With a stretch of three consecutive home games early in the season, we decided it was the appropriate time to re-sod our field.

“This process will begin on Monday with full installation of a new surface completed by the end of the week. We will continue to monitor the field and every aspect of our new stadium to ensure it is the best possible experience for our players and fans.”

In response to The Athletic’s story two weeks ago, Guelli previously told The Associated Press there was nothing about the field to worry about.

“From a playability and safety perspective, everybody’s very happy,” Guelli told the AP. “It’s year one. So it’s a brand new field and it’s going to take time for the foundation to build up. So some of the things people saw in the game, those will dissipate over time.”

Buffalo will play on a grass surface this year for the first time since 1972, when they vacated War Memorial Stadium for their new home in Orchard Park. This grass surface was originally installed in October 2025.