Fans notice Commanders’ field covered in brown spots after bizarre ‘malfunction’

The Washington Commanders had an unfortunate ‘malfunction’ to their field before their Week 2 contest with the New York Giants.

Eagle-eyed fans tuning into the NFC East rivalry game couldn’t help but notice three large brown spots on the turf in Maryland.

“Brown spots, smh,” one fan posted.

“That field is a**,” wrote another.

The stained turf was clearly visible when the teams entered the red zone.

According to Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post, the unusual circles were due to issues with irrigation heads and malfunctioning sprinklers that the franchise were unable to repair by the time the game started.

“There are three brown spots on the field at Northwest Stadium,” Jhabvala posted on X.

“A Commanders spokesperson said three irrigation heads recently malfunctioned and required repair, altering the aesthetics of field in those areas.”

While unsightly, the large brown patches had no impact on the playing quality of the grass and the field was given the green light to play on.

It’s widely believed that the Commanders play in one of the worst stadiums in the NFL.

In 2021, fans were doused with water in their seats after a pipe broke in the stadium. People initially feared the worst that it was sewage but the team insisted it was in fact rainwater.

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A year later, a number of fans were injured at Northwest Field — then known as FedEx Field — after a railing broke following a game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

In recent years, seven players have been seriously injured while playing there, too.

However, the Commanders had hoped they’d put their turf issues behind them and turned a page under their new ownership.

Josh Harris purchased the Commanders from Dan Snyder in 2023. As part of the takeover, FedEx Field was rebranded as Northwest Stadium after Northwest Federal Credit Union purchased naming rights for an estimated $8+ million.

The Commanders also announced a $40 million investment into the stadium in 2023, focusing on “three new themed suites, new ticket scanning pedestals, point of sale upgrades, and updated Commanders branded imagery around the stadium, as well as maintenance repairs to the bowl and paint around the stadium.”

Washington have also made a number of football changes since the takeover, which NBA legend Magic Johnson is part of.

Head coach Ron Rivera was replaced by Dan Quinn while Adam Peters was brought in as GM.

The franchise also drafted reigning Heisman winner Jayden Daniels with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 Draft to be their new franchise quarterback.

The Commanders fell to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 37-20 in Week 1 of the new season and face the Giants in Week 2 in their home opener.

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