NFLPA says Detroit Lions played on unsafe field in 2022

The Detroit Lions raised concerns about the safety of the playing surface after their 2022 Week 16 game against the Carolina Panthers, with players falling and finding it difficult to brace on the hard surface. Months later, the NFLPA confirmed that the field was deemed unsafe to play on, as it failed the league's ‘Clegg' test for hardness. Despite concerns raised by players, the league did not take action and allowed the game to proceed on an unsafe field.

Key Points

• The Lions raised concerns about the safety of the playing surface after their Week 16 game against the Carolina Panthers
• The field failed the league's ‘Clegg' test for hardness
• Despite concerns raised by players, the league did not take action and allowed the game to proceed on an unsafe field

NFLPA says Detroit Lions played on unsafe field in 2022

Here is what the NFLPA said in their report:

Last year on Christmas Eve, Carolina’s field failed the Clegg test. For a surface to pass this test, it must measure below 100g (units of gravities), and the meter for this test goes up to a maximum of 150g. When the field in Carolina was tested during the pregame check, it came back as — you guessed it — 150g.

Players reached out and told us the field was way too hard, describing it as concrete. Players reported that they couldn’t even wear cleats because they wouldn’t sink into the turf. When we reached out to the league, they told us they were aware of these concerns and were working to remedy them.

However, instead of delaying the game or finding another way to fix the issue, the league gave the green light to kick off the game as scheduled. Afterward, the league told us that late in the first half, the field finally did fall below the 100g max. But the fact remains that the players in that game had to play on a field that the league acknowledges was not safe. That is beyond frustrating to players and unacceptable in the eyes of our union.

Bottom Line – NFL must prioritize player safety

The safety and well-being of NFL players should always be the top priority for the league, and that obviously was not the case when the Lions played the Panthers on Christmas Eve. The failure to take action and address concerns raised by players about the safety of the playing surface during the Lions-Panthers game is unacceptable. The league must take immediate action to ensure that such incidents do not occur in the future and that the players' safety is not compromised.