The Baltimore Ravens and Dallas Cowboys are in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and set to kick off their Week 3 matchup at Maracana Stadium on Sunday. In the lead-up to this international contest, concerns surrounding the field conditions at Maracana Stadium have been one of the central storylines. However, on the eve of the matchup, the league says the field good to go for play, with NFL field director Nick Pappas telling reporters in Brazil on Saturday that there is "no need to worry."
"We have an independent inspector that comes in, walks with myself, walks with a member of the NFLPA," Pappas said, via Pro Football Talk. "They were here yesterday. Performed that test. Things check out. We've made additional improvements to the field that we think were helpful."
Maracana Stadium's field has been considered to be in poor shape due to the wear and tear of the Brazilian soccer season. Both Flamengo and Fluminense, two local clubs, play on the field at least once a week, per the Associated Press. Flamengo midfielder Giorgian De Arrascaeta even noted after a recent game that, "We've been struggling a lot in these last few games, and the field keeps getting worse."
Specifically, there are concerns about the turf's traction and stability, and the NFL even needed to reinforce the field's stitching.
NFLPA executive director JC Tretter took to social media on Friday to voice the players' union's concerns about the playing surface. Tretter also advocated for universal "field standards" and raised concerns about international expansion, noting two of the three games played in Brazil have had field-related issues.
"We've been in regular communication with the league about the field," Tretter wrote on X. "Both the NFLPA's and the league's field experts have been on the ground in Brazil for days, monitoring conditions and working to make the surface as safe and playable as possible for Sunday.
"Based on our experts' assessment, the field needed better traction and stability. They recommended reinforced stitching to help the surface hold together and brought in equipment to reinforce as much of the field as possible before the game. Our experts will remain engaged and continue evaluating conditions through kickoff."
Sunday will be the NFL's third game in Brazil since 2024, but the first at Maracana Stadium. The first two were played at NeoQuimica Arena in São Paulo. In the first game played at that arena, the field conditions were widely criticised, as players from both the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers were seen changing their cleats to try and reduce slipping.
