Bengals Announce Multiple Stadium Upgrades, Including New Playing Surface
A FieldTurf field will be installed. They’re also replacing a significant number of seats inside Paycor Stadium, league sources tell All Bengals.
“The selection comes after a thorough review process that considered the major players in the artificial turf industry, collaboration with the NFL and its testing requirements, and stadium and football experts,” the team said in a statement.
“Player safety and performance data drove the selection of a monofilament product, consistent with NFL recommendations.”
Hamilton County Commissioners approved the projected on Thursday.
“Hamilton County and the Bengals are committed to providing a top-level playing surface for NFL games, and this step confirms that commitment,” Paycor Stadium Managing Director Steve Johnson said in a statement. “The field will be installed in time for the entire 2024 NFL season.”
The new FieldTurf CORE system returns to Paycor Stadium after serving as the Bengals’ playing surface from 2004-2011.
Cincinnati is the eighth NFL team with FieldTurf, joining the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Detroit Lions, New England Patriots, New York Jets, New York Giants and Seattle Seahawks.
DeForest Buckner Linked in ‘Unlikely’ Trade Proposal
With free agency and the NFL Draft looming, ’tis the season for rampant speculation.
David Kenyon of Bleacher Report (B/R) created a series of five trades to build the next-great defense. He included Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle DeForest Buckner in a deal to the Cincinnati Bengals for a just a second-round pick.
Since the Indianapolis Colts have plenty of cap space, they certainly don’t need to trade DeForest Buckner. He’s been a consistent top performer during his four seasons in Indy.
Buckner is, however, entering the final year of his contract.
If the Colts are leaning toward not extending the defensive tackle, they should entertain the idea of maximizing a return for him. Buckner would be worth at least a Day 2 selection in the 2024 NFL draft, and the Cincinnati Bengals—aggressive as it would be—can afford that.
Now, to be clear, this is a highly unlikely trade. But it sure would be a massive, much-needed upgrade for Cincinnati. – David Kenyon on B/R
