LeBron James calls out NFL for field in Brazil as Eagles and Packers players slide around

Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles players slipping and sliding in Brazil leads NBA superstar LeBron James to call out NFL.

LeBron James calls out NFL for field in Brazil as Eagles and Packers players slide around

LeBron James calls out Brazil field as NFL players slip and slide (Image via Open Source/X)

The NFL hosted its first game in the country of Brazil amidst a lot of hype. But prior to the game, all the talk was surrounding the apparent security issues Philadelphia Eagles players voiced. That ended up becoming a non-issue as the game against the Green Bay Packers went on without any problems. Except when NBA superstar LeBron James noticed an apparent issue with the field.

The turf, the host stadium of Brazilian soccer powerhouse Corinthians, was a mix of grass and artificial turf. NFL players, usually accustomed to much better surroundings, found it tough to keep their feet on this ground. NBA superstar LeBron James noticing this, had a not-so-nice reaction to the conditions.

Man this field sucks!!! GB vs PHI.
LeBron James wrote on X

Those words with a facepalm emoticon summed up what players faced throughout the game. Many of them were seen sliding around when trying to make quick turns or movements.

FS Video
YouTube video

Suggesting that the turf was not accustomed to the shiftiness of NFL players. For soccer it may work fine, but when it comes to football, players make their careers on sudden movements and cuts. But the Green Bay Packers would like to have a word about it. WR Christian Watson slipped in the red zone when he was wide open for a touchdown. QB Jordan Love almost had a pick-six coming off a slide in the loss.

The Philadelphia Eagles had fewer issues but still had enough to rethink the Brazil idea. LeBron James felt, as did many football fans, that the slipping and sliding was becoming detrimental to the game. If this had caused a serious setback for any of the superstars in that game, NFL owners might ask Commissioner Roger Goodell to avoid scheduling games in such environments.

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NFL Brazil’s slippery turf does not spare officials either

Players weren’t the only people on the field facing this issue. Field Judge Ryan Dickson was a victim of the slipperiness of this turf. He too slipped and fell down injuring his right leg. He was seen getting treatment on the sidelines.

Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles players had trouble keeping their feet on the ground in Brazil
Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles players had trouble keeping their feet on the ground in Brazil (Image via Imago)

It is particularly evident that the mixed surface was not appropriate for NFL-level football. Hundreds of millions of dollars were at stake, as were game and possibly season-altering plays. It even forced equipment managers to try and make improvements to player cleats, just to get that extra level of grip.

With the games already so far from home, getting replacement cleats in a foreign country that does not play this game made it more difficult. It all points to the fact that the NFL needs to take care when selecting venues outside of the country.

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