Arrowhead Stadium is best venue to play in, MetLife Stadium the worst, players say in poll

Check out The Athletic’s 2023 anonymous NFL player poll for honest opinions on the best and worst stadiums to play in, the turf vs grass debate, officiating, and more.

NFL stadiums are a huge topic of discussion among fans, but how do players in the league rank the venues when polled anonymously? The Athletic’s beat writers surveyed 85 players over the past month to get their unfiltered opinions on that topic and more.

Arrowhead Stadium, home of the Kansas City Chiefs, was voted as the best NFL stadium by the highest percentage of players (17.9 percent) among the 84 who responded to the question. U.S. Bank Stadium, home of the Minnesota Vikings, came in second (13.7 percent), followed by the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles (8.9 percent), Lambeau Field (8.3 percent), and Lumen Field in Seattle (8.3 percent).

“That place is electric,” one player said about Arrowhead. “That’s one of the coolest places to play. In my opinion, the loudest in the NFL.”

U.S. Bank Stadium, despite being an indoor stadium with turf, was also praised by players: “That place was f—ing loud,” one player said.

Players also weighed in on the worst venues to play in, with MetLife Stadium (home of the New York Jets and Giants) ranking at the top (18.4 percent). FedEx Field (home of the Washington Commanders) and Highmark Stadium (home of the Buffalo Bills) were also among the top vote-getters for the worst stadium to play in.

Although Lambeau Field was voted as one of the best stadiums, it also received votes for the worst stadium due to the cold weather, and even the old Oakland Coliseum, no longer in use, received a couple of votes.

Each player polled was given the chance to express their opinions anonymously on some of the NFL’s biggest topics.

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(Photo: Kara Durrette / Getty Images)