The Cincinnati Bengals are finally ditching their slit-film turf for the 2024 season, moving to a FieldTurf CORE surface more commonly used around the league.
In a team press released shared by reporter Paul Dehner Jr., the Bengals announced the switch would occur ahead of the upcoming season.
“Player safety and performance data drove the selection of a monofilament product, consistent with NFL recommendations,” the press release said in part.
Specifically, the Bengals were playing on Shaw Sports Momentum Pro, the only team in the league to do so during the 2023 season. Other teams had used the company and the surface in the past, including the Baltimore Ravens, but they switched to grass in 2016.
Turf remains a controversial surface around the league. Most players prefer playing on grass, believing it reduces the risk of severe knee injuries. While the Bengals’ surface will be turf, it will be a better and more modern version of it, making for a better and hopefully safer surface.
Cincinnati has lagged behind the rest of the NFL with its facilities. Despite playing in a cold climate, the Bengals didn’t have an indoor practice facility until 2022, finally ponying up the money and getting the proper permits to install a facility. The Bengals played on Kentucky Bluegrass in their early days before switching to Field Turf from 2004 to 2011 and a different brand of synthetic turf from 2012 to 2017.
According to the Pitt Panthers’ website, who share a stadium with the Steelers, Acrisure Stadium contains a “blend of four variations of Kentucky Bluegrass, covering just over two acres.”
The Bengals’ home venue, now known as Paycor Stadium, opened in 2000. Like the Steelers, there are no reported plans to build a new stadium anytime soon. As always, Pittsburgh will hold one of its two divisional games in Cincinnati later this year. The Steelers swept the Bengals in 2023, including a 16-10 win at Cincinnati in Week 12.
