According to ESPN NFL reporter Mike Reiss, the New England Patriots are ‘all hands on deck’ this week to replace the freshly installed World Cup turf at Gillette Stadium ahead of their Thursday night preseason opening game against the Indianapolis Colts:
The post-World Cup field turf passed general tests, but failed separate laboratory testing protocols because it lacked a rubber shock pad (E-layer) that is apparently required under lab specifications for concrete bases—and apparently Gillette Stadium uses a stone-dust base.
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Reportedly, the replacement turf will be one that the Patriots used last for their Divisional Round win against the Colts’ AFC South rival Houston Texans on January 18th, 2026.
At any rate, the Colts are no strangers to preseason turf issues, as the 2016 Hall of Fame game between the Colts and Green Bay Packers was infamously called off hours before the ‘kickoff to preseason’ game because the stadium crew accidentally applied the wrong type of paint during touchups, causing it to fail to dry properly.
Specifically, the paint used on the midfield logo and end zones congealed and turned rubbery, creating slippery footing and unsafe conditions for potential participating players.
The Colts have already had a number of hamstring injuries during this year’s training camp, and while it would be surprising if any of those players nursing such lingering injuries would play in Preseason Week 1, you also don’t want to see any new names join the injury practice report because of suspect turf conditions. Not saying that will be the case in New England by any means, but stranger things have happened.
