NFL players’ shoes melt during game played in record-breaking heat

NFL players were left with burning feet and even melting shoes after the artificial field beneath them reached a reported temperature of 156°F (69°C).

Some needed water poured over their footwear during the Tennessee Titans’ game against the Philadelphia Eagles, while one player went through two different pairs.

The extraordinary surface temperature was recorded at Nissan Stadium in Nashville during the third quarter of Sunday’s NFL game.

Fox Sports reported that the artificial turf had reached a temperature of some 157°F, as the stadium absolutely baked in the afternoon sunshine.

Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman Cam Jurgens said that the heat was so intense that the soles of his boots, known as cleats in American football, began to melt.

‘I went through a couple pairs today,’ the 27-year-old said after the game. ‘Half-time was like a NASCAR pit crew helping me get ready for the second half.’

Jurgens said that the artificial surface was ‘radiating’ heat upwards, leaving his feet burning and still hurting after the final whistle.

Fox cameras even captured Titans safety Kevin Winston Jr having water poured over his boots during a break in play.

The Titans had some idea of what was coming, having encountered similarly brutal conditions during their opening home defeat to the New York Jets.

Titans safety Amani Hooker said that the midsole of one of his boots ‘melted completely off’ during that game.

Eagles offensive tackle Jordan Mailata suffered problems of his own on Sunday, rolling his ankles twice during the game. He questioned whether the softened material in his partially melted shoes could have contributed.

‘I’ve never thought about how hot a stadium can be if it’s turf,’ Mailata said. ‘The heat just sits there and bounces up into you.’

Mailata, who has represented the Eagles in the NFL Players Association, said that the conditions strengthened the argument for natural grass across the league.

‘This is why we want all grass fields,’ he said. ‘To create a standard of play in the league where we’re not putting players in dangerous positions if we don’t have to.’

The air temperature at the noon kick-off was at 95°F (or 35°C), with humidity making it feel closer to 105°F (41°C).

Conditions on the synthetic surface were significantly hotter, giving players some idea of what a Super Bowl staged in Hell might feel like.

They were, of course, also carrying the additional weight of helmets, shoulder pads and all the other protective equipment. None of which is particularly lightweight stuff.

Philadelphia veteran Lane Johnson, who’s spent some 14 years in the NFL, ranked it among the five toughest games that he’d ever experienced.

The heat took its toll on Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni too, who required intravenous fluids despite spending the game on the sidelines.

‘It was hot as s***,’ Sirianni said. ‘I didn’t play a snap and I had to get an IV.

‘I so appreciate how much the guys prepared. I so appreciate how much they fought through because it wasn’t easy.’

Sirianni also praised the Titans players for enduring the conditions as both teams continued pushing until the closing seconds.

Philadelphia eventually secured a 24-20 victory through Jalen Hurts’ last-gasp touchdown pass to Darius Cooper, preserving their unbeaten start to the season.

The Tennessee Titans will leave Nissan Stadium for a new ground next season. Those responsible for its pitch may want to investigate whether football can be played on a surface cooler than the Sun.

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