The Pittsburgh Steelers (4-1) solidified their lead in the AFC North with a 23-9 victory versus the Cleveland Browns this past Sunday, but the team’s early-season success was not the only headline to come out of the game. All-Pro kicker Chris Boswell fell while attempting a field goal, prompting quarterback Aaron Rodgers to label the poor field conditions as “borderline unplayable.” The Black and Gold are quickly taking action by replacing the surface, but Ben Roethlisberger thinks another big change needs to happen as well.

The two-time Super Bowl champion and franchise legend believes the Steelers should lose their roommate. The University of Pittsburgh football team has been playing their home games at Acrisure Stadium since it opened in 2001 (originally named Heinz Field), so finding another venue could be both challenging and unrealistic. Roethlisberger has an alternative in mind, however, one that he thinks would benefit both the college and NFL squad.

“You can’t have a professional football team, not just the Steelers, but the opponents play on a surface like that,” the retired QB opined on his “Footbahlin” podcast, via Matthew Luciow. “Because you’re paying them a lot of money, and if people get hurt, it’s not a good thing… I don’t think Pitt should play there anymore.

“I firmly believe Pitt should put a 35,000-person stadium up on Oakland (neighborhood in Pittsburgh) and pack that thing. Because when you have 65,000 or 70,000 in Acrisure, and it’s only half full, what’s that look like? Put a 25,000-person stadium and then just bump it… The students won’t have to drive anywhere. They can walk to the game {and } walk back to the dorms. And then you keep {Pitt} off of that field for the Steelers.”

Ben Roethlisberger has obviously given this idea some thought, and there are probably many people from both fan bases that love his proposal. But it is not that simple. The Panthers already lost Pitt Stadium at the end of the previous century, forcing them to bunk with the Steelers. There are several hurdles that the university would need to clear before building a new home, with the potential financial implications looming large in this hypothetical decision-making process.

Finding a solution is vital, however. Neither team should risk their players’ well-being on an unstable surface. Ideally, the new turf will prevent any more mishaps from occurring again. Though, one has to wonder how long everyone can mitigate this issue before implementing an even more significant change.