Aaron Rodgers Blames Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Poor Field for Calf Injury

Aaron Rodgers does not care for the playing surface at Raymond James Stadium, home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

During his radio show on ESPN Wisconsin on Thursday, the NFL's MVP pinned two injuries on the playing conditions at the stadium:

Complaints about the surface at Tampa Bay's stadium aren't exactly common, however.

"While footing is an individual preference, there haven’t been that many complaints about Tampa’s grass in the past, which makes Rodgers’ claim curious," Darin Gantt of Pro Football Talk wrote in response to Rodgers' complaints.

While the calf injury somewhat hampered Rodgers down the stretch this season and he was clearly hobbled in certain games, he still led the Green Bay Packers to an NFC North title with a win over the Detroit Lions the week after the Tampa Bay game. The Packers were also able to beat the Dallas Cowboys in the divisional round, though they were eliminated the next week against the Seattle Seahawks.

It will be interesting to see if other players complain about the playing surface at Raymond James Stadium. Shoddy surfaces are nothing new in NFL stadiums—the Philadelphia Eagles old home, Veterans Stadium, was notorious for its horrible turf—though the newer stadiums in the league generally have very playable surfaces. 

If more players gripe about the field conditions, the Bucs may be forced to make changes to their playing surface in the coming years.