It certainly wasn’t the worst condition Soldier Field’s grass has been in for a Bears game, but it was discolored and rough in some areas Saturday before kickoff against the Bengals. General manager Ryan Poles and other officials appeared to be testing the stability of the field beforehand.
The stadium hasn’t hosted any events since a pair of Metallica concerts last weekend, though there was heavy rain this week. It rained intermittently during pre-game warmups, but cleared up by the start of the game.
The grass at Soldier Field has been a never-ending discussion point for the Bears. It was in such a bad state for a preseason game against the Chiefs two years ago that NFLPA president J.C. Tretter blasted it on social media and said, “The NFL can and should do better.”
That was part of the impetus for coach Matt Eberflus to push for a change from the stadium’s traditional Kentucky bluegrass to Tahoma-31 Bermuda grass.
The team is working toward building an indoor stadium just south of Soldier Field or on its 326-acre property in Arlington Heights. Team president Kevin Warren said recently he expects to open it for the 2028 season.