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Nashville Turf Heat Melts Cleats, Hospitalizes Sirianni

ESPN NFL •
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Players' cleats were melting and Eagles coach Nick Sirianni needed an IV as a result of extreme heat conditions at Nissan Stadium during Sunday's game between Philadelphia and the Tennessee Titans, a 24-20 win for the Eagles. The temperature on the turf reached 157 degrees Fahrenheit, per the television broadcast. Philadelphia left tackle Jordan Mailata, the team's NFL Players Association rep in 2025, said this is another reason the union should push for the league to do away with turf surfaces.

"I've never thought about how hot a stadium can be if it's turf. [The heat] just sits there and bounces up into you," Mailata said. "We've got to bring it up. This is why we want all grass fields, to create a standard of play in the league where we're not putting players in dangerous positions if we don't have to."

Eagles offensive lineman Cam Jurgens noted postgame that his feet were "burning, still hurting." Jurgens said he went through multiple pairs of cleats due to melting issues. "Halftime was like a NASCAR pit crew helping me get ready for the second half," he said. "That turf was just radiating."

The temperature in Nashville for Sunday's kickoff at noon local time was 95 degrees, with a heat index of around 105. A heat dome had settled over the area in recent weeks. Titans safety Amani Hooker said the midsoles of his cleats "melted completely off" during the season opener.