It’ll go against everything Bears kicker Cairo Santos has trained for, but he was happy to see Soldier Field get fresh Bermuda sod this week after the grass was so bad in the preseason that he said it was “reckless” for the NFL to hold a game on it.
Santos called the switch from Soldier Field’s traditional Kentucky bluegrass to Bermuda “a great thing” if it’s possible to maintain it.
“The other one, the grass got ripped out too easily,” he said. “It just became a sandy field that they spray painted green.”
Santos, who lives in Florida, has plenty of experience kicking on Bermuda grass and said it typically allows him to get a better view of the bottom of the football when he approaches for a field goal, plus it provides sturdier ground for his plant foot.
Santos expressed some uncertainty about how the sod would settle for the home opener against the 49ers on Sunday after being installed Monday. He planned to test it out Friday.
Bears coach Matt Eberflus volunteered that the new surface would play faster and “that lends to our advantage.”
When asked if he pushed for the change, Eberflus said, “I’m not going to go deep into it. I’m not a grass expert.”
Chad Price, president of the Carolina Green Corporation, tweeted photos Monday of his company laying Tahoma 31 sod at the stadium. Carolina Green has installed grass and artificial turf for various major college programs and pro teams, including the Ravens, Commanders, Panthers, Eagles and Bengals.
