The playing surface at Maracanã Stadium remains a concern the day before the Ravens and Cowboys meet in Rio de Janeiro.
NFL Players Association executive director JC Tretter said Friday that the union’s field experts found the grass needed better traction and stability. They recommended reinforced stitching to help hold the surface together and brought in equipment to reinforce as much of it as possible before Sunday’s game. Union and league experts have been monitoring the field in Brazil and will continue evaluating it through kickoff. Tretter drew a distinction between playability and injury risk. The concern, he said, is that loose or patchy grass could cause excessive slipping and affect player performance. He described those conditions
as generally more of a performance issue than a significant injury concern.
There have been a lot of questions about the field surface in Brazil, and I wanted to provide the NFLPA’s perspective.
— JC Tretter (@JCTretter) September 25, 2026
Our number one priority is the health and safety of our players. The concern heading into this week was that the field would be loose, patchy, and lead to…
The teams are getting a closer look before they play. CBS Sports reporter Tracy Wolfson said both clubs would briefly visit Maracanã on Saturday to get a feel for the stadium and field. Their observations, along with the experts’ continuing assessments, will give the Ravens and Cowboys more information before they choose footwear and finalize their plans.
Earlier in the week, NFL field director Nick Pappas said the league had no concerns about staging the game at Maracanã and that moving it was not under discussion. Tretter’s statement focused on getting the surface to a standard that allows players to perform, while also pressing the league to address field quality as it expands internationally.
For Baltimore, the question now is how the reinforced grass holds up when players cut, accelerate, and change direction at game speed.
This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: NFLPA raises field concerns ahead of Ravens-Cowboys game in Rio
