Patriots Replacing ‘Soft’ Gillette Stadium Turf After Loss To Chiefs

The New England Patriots announced Monday that they are replacing the turf at Gillette Stadium just four months after it was installed.

Patriots Turf Replacement News

Since its installation in May, Major League Soccer’s New England Revolution has also used the field.

The field’s surface passed all NFL and MLS safety standards, although Patriots spokesman Stacey James said the field “wasn’t up to the standards of the Patriots and the Revolution.” The spokesman continued. “This was the first time all summer that we had a two-week window to replace it,” James added according to the New York Daily News. 

The Pats suffered a humiliating 42-27 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in their season opener in Foxborough on Thursday, and many players claim the synthetic turf felt too soft. The team also played both pre-season home games on that turf.

“It will be good to have some new turf out there,” said Patriots running back James White, who agreed that the field was softer than players would prefer. “But like Bill (Belichick) says, you’ve got to play on … whatever’s out there.”

Belichick did say, however, that he believed the turf “needs to be replaced.”

According to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, the Patriots only had one practice on the new turf two days before the season opener, “although kicker Stephen Gostkowski, punter Ryan Allen and long-snapper Joe Cardona regularly practice on the field.”

A survey of NFL players in 2006 voted the Patriots’ field as one of the two worst in the league. Following a string of rainy games in which players kept slipping, the team tore up the grass and replaced it with artificial turf.

Work to change the field began Sunday, one day after the Revolution defeated visitors Montreal 1-0. The Revolution’s next home MLS game is on Sept. 23 against Toronto FC.

The Patriots’ next home game is on Sept. 24 against the Houston Texans.

FOXBORO, MA – AUGUST 31: Jacoby Brissett #7 of the New England Patriots runs the ball in to the end zone as Ryan Murphy #36 of the New York Giants defends in the second half during a preseason game on August 31, 2017 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)