NFL Addresses Tire Tracks as Safety Issue for Bucs-Browns Game, per Report

The incident occurred on Tuesday, but damage to the playing surface at FirstEnergy Stadium remained visible Sunday.

On Tuesday, a fan broke into FirstEnergy Stadium and drove a vehicle on the field, leaving tire tracks on the playing surface. Five days later, those marks are still easily visible as the Browns host the Buccaneers.

However, although the field looks messy, it won’t be an issue during the game. ESPN’s Jeff Darlington reports the NFL had an independent field inspector investigate the field, and the league doesn’t believe there is a playability issue.

News 5 Cleveland reported earlier this week that the Browns immediately notified the Cleveland Police Department of the incident, and police believe someone might have jumped a fence before driving a vehicle on the field.

“We take pride in the strong reviews and reputation of our stadium’s playing surface,” the team said in a statement on Tuesday. “We have been in touch with the NFL on the matter and are confident after repair our field will be ready for Sunday’s game vs. the Tampa Buccaneers.”

The dude who stole the truck and did donuts on the field in Cleveland left a serious mark! I’m told by the league that it is mostly “aesthetic” and an independent field inspector has determined the field to be safe. It is not a “playability” issue, per the NFL. pic.twitter.com/0xxwCNtDMb

— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington) November 27, 2022

You can still see the tire marks from this week’s vandalism of the field at FirstEnergy Stadium #Browns pic.twitter.com/Vo2e6GZKD5

— Jake Trotter (@Jake_Trotter) November 27, 2022

The Browns game against Tampa Bay began as scheduled at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday.

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