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Browns' stadium turf damaged by alleged trespasser driving a vehicle

By Zac Wassink | Last updated 11/22/22

The 3-7 Cleveland Browns have encountered yet another setback during what's become a frustrating season.

News 5 Cleveland has reported that a portion of the field at FirstEnergy Stadium, home of the Browns, was damaged early Tuesday morning by an individual driving a vehicle. Video captured by AirTracker5 shows multiple sets of tracks on the turf in the field of play, and it was said that "some of the ruts left behind appeared to be significant in some places" as of Tuesday afternoon local time.

The report adds that it's believed a trespasser may have jumped a fence to get into the stadium and then caused the damage by driving a golf cart on the field. Cleveland is scheduled to host the 5-5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers this coming Sunday.

NEW DETAILS: Police think someone jumped a fence and drove a golf cart. Turf expert says could present safety issue. https://t.co/RaHmvWzTf3
— News 5 Cleveland (@WEWS) November 22, 2022

"We are aware of the incident that occurred early Tuesday morning at FirstEnergy Stadium and have provided the Cleveland Division of Police with all relevant information," the Browns said in a statement shared by News 5 Cleveland. "Based on our internal evaluation, there was some superficial damage to the playing field that our grounds maintenance team is currently working to repair. We take great pride in the strong reviews and reputation of our stadium’s playing surface, 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 Browns have lost six of seven games and last won when they welcomed the division-rival Cincinnati Bengals to FirstEnergy Stadium for a contest played on the night of Oct. 31. Meanwhile, this Sunday's game will be Cleveland's last before first-choice quarterback Deshaun Watson is eligible to make his Browns regular-season debut coming off an 11-game suspension related to allegations of sexual misconduct during massage sessions.

Watson is on track to start at the Houston Texans, his former team, on Dec. 4. After that matchup, the Browns play at Cincinnati on Dec. 11 and then host the Baltimore Ravens on Dec. 18. It's unknown if the FirstEnergy Stadium field will be fully repaired by the Week 15 Browns-Ravens clash.

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