Ahead of a matchup with the Atlanta Falcons in Week 11, the Denver Broncos has given the turf at Empower Field at Mile High a makeover.
The team's stadium crew had the field replaced within 36 hours After playing against the Carolina Panthers on October 27th, he had three weeks to settle in before the Falcons game on November 17th.
The weed comes from ESPN's Adam Schefter in Platteville, Colorado, which is about 45 minutes north of Boulder.
For the third consecutive year, the Broncos proactively installed a brand new field at Empower Field at Mile High in the interest of player safety during the season.
The team brought 14 truckloads of Kentucky Bluegrass from a turf farm in Platteville, Colorado and completed the…
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter)
Chris Hathaway, the Broncos' director of turf and grounds at Empower Field at Mile High, wrote on Twitter/X that the main reason for the replacement was player safety.
The main reason is player safety. To end the season it is important to start again at 100%. It helps us get through a difficult time of year by growing bluegrass. My local turf farm is also about to freeze here. You wait too long to leave the state to get replacement turf.
— Chris Hathaway (@ChrisH5280)
As is well known, the Walton-Penner ownership group before the 2022 season finale and replaced it again midway through the 2023 season.
“[They] “I just said it to myself,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said after practice Wednesday when asked about replacing the turf. “You’d have to ask Greg [Penner]. That means our field was in good condition. I don't know what's happened since the last one. The only thing I know is that Greg isn't afraid to do it if he doesn't like it. I literally just found out and [it’s] terrific.”
The Broncos are one of 15 teams in 30 stadiums across the NFL to use a natural grass playing surface. After Denver hosts Atlanta on Sunday, there are three more home games left their schedule for 2024.