Decision follows rough preseason debut
The Buffalo Bills confirmed they will re-sod the natural grass surface at Highmark Stadium ahead of their Week 2 home opener against the Detroit Lions, a move prompted by widespread complaints about the field during the preseason.
Players and staff pointed to a shaky debut on Aug. 15 when a tackle ripped out a "massive clump" of grass, forcing officials to stop the clock while grounds crews attempted to repair the turf. Starting quarterback Josh Allen, along with DJ Moore, Dion Dawkins and Spencer Brown, helped stomp displaced sod back into place after the play; backup quarterback Kyle Allen was the player who slid and was hit on the play that exposed the problem.
An anonymous player told The Athletic that "The field is a-- right now," reflecting the frustration that followed the preseason incidents. The Bills did not make any notable changes to the surface before that preseason finale against the Pittsburgh Steelers; instead, they waited until after the preseason to re-sod the field and prepare it for their Week 2 home opener.
Timeline, expectations and cautions from team staff
Pete Guelli confirmed the re-sodding plan and emphasized the club's priority on player safety: "We're committed to having the best possible playing surface for our players." He added that with three consecutive home games early in the season, the organization "decided it was the appropriate time to re-sod our field."
Guelli laid out a short timeline, saying, "This process will begin on Monday with full installation of a new surface completed by the end of the week." He also said the club will continue to monitor the field and other aspects of the stadium "to ensure it is the best possible experience for our players and fans."
Not everyone expects the swap to be a cure. Aaron Ramella cautioned that the replacement won't eliminate all issues entirely: "It's not a cure-all," he said. "We're still going to have divots. It's a living grass field. We'll be better than where we're at now."
Context for the decision: the 2026 season will mark the first time the Bills play home games on a grass surface — rather than artificial turf — since 1972, and the team elected to wait until after the preseason to re-sod the surface in preparation for the regular-season home opener in Week 2.
One outlet reported that the Bills planned to tear out and completely replace the natural grass field at Highmark Stadium; the team characterized the work as a re-sodding intended to stabilize the playing surface ahead of an early stretch of home games.
