Despite recent, vocal complaints about the playing surface, the NFL is pushing ahead with its Week 3 game between the Dallas Cowboys and Baltimore Ravens at Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on September 21, 2026. This decision has sparked serious questions about player health, especially with reports that the field is far from ideal.
The “Bumps Everywhere” That Have Players Fuming
The gripes aren’t just whispers; soccer players who regularly compete at Maracanã Stadium have been loud and clear about the field’s terrible shape. Flamengo goalkeeper Agustín Rossi didn’t hold back, saying, “You don’t even need to talk about the field. It’s there for everyone to see.” He hammered home the point that playing on a surface like this is “unbelievable,” especially for how they play. Rossi got super specific, too, pointing out that “both penalty areas are bad as [expletive],” and there are “bumps everywhere.” He even called out the upcoming NFL game, hoping the field would be in better shape afterward. That’s a pretty damning critique, isn’t it? It makes you wonder how the biggest football league in the world can ignore that kind of direct feedback.
NFL’s “Plan” and Dallas’s Cool Front
So, what’s the NFL’s response to all this? According to Mark Maske of Front Office Sports, the league is just going to “move forward” with Maracanã Stadium, claiming they have “a plan in place to ensure a high-quality playing surface.” A plan, huh? After what Rossi said, you gotta be skeptical. This isn’t the first time an international game has faced venue issues; back in 2018, the Chiefs-Rams game got moved from Mexico City to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum less than a week out due to field conditions at Estadio Azteca. It absolutely shows that changes *can* happen at the last minute if the league really wants to protect its players. Interestingly, the Cowboys are playing it cool. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer said the team has “no concerns” about the field after their win against the Washington Commanders. Owner Jerry Jones, however, was a bit more measured, saying they’ll “monitor the situation” and it’s “the utmost concern to the league and the teams playing down there.” He admitted it’s “front of mind” now that they’ve gotten past the Commanders. That’s a classic owner move, right? Publicly confident, but privately acknowledging the risk.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has made bringing games to international venues a big priority. But even with that focus, the health and safety of players should absolutely be the number one concern. Right now, it looks like the league is sticking to its guns, so the Cowboys and Ravens are still set to clash on that questionable Maracanã turf. Let’s just hope that “plan” for a high-quality surface actually delivers, because nobody wants to see a superstar go down on a bad field in Week 3.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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