NFLPA’s executive director demands replacement of turfs with natural grass fields after Aaron Rodgers’ horrific injury: Report
The NFL Players Association is demanding all fields to be natural grass. For years, NFL players have made it clear they want all fields to be grass rather than turf as they think turf causes more injuries like concussion issues, torn ACLs, and torn Achilles among others.
Now, following Aaron Rodgers tearing his Achilles early into his Jets debut on the turf of MetLife Stadium, the NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell, says all NFL fields need to be grass.
"Moving all stadium fields to high-quality natural grass surfaces is the easiest decision the NFL can make. The players overwhelmingly prefer it and the data is clear that grass is simply safer than artificial turf. It is an issue that has been near the top of the players' list during my team visits and one I have raised with the NFL.
"While we know there is an investment to making it change, there is a bigger cost to everyone in our business if we keep losing out best players to unnecessary injuries. It makes no sense that stadiums can flip over to superior grass surfaces when the World Cup comes or soccer club comes to visit for exhibition grams in the summer, but inferior artificial surfaces are acceptable for our own players. This is worth the investment and it simply needs to change now."
Howell certainly has a point that some stadiums are putting grass for the World Cup as soccer players demanded all fields to be grass and eventually that happened for them.
So, NFL owners have talked about the cost of grass vs. turf as a big reason why they won't make the change. But, they are putting in grass for the World Cup which will no doubt leave some NFL players angry.
Turf vs. grass has been a debate for years
NFL stadiums being all grass has been a debate between the players and owners well before Aaron Rodgers' injury on Monday Night Football.
Von Miller even started a petition to try and flip the turf to grass as he believes it will make the game safer for all players.
Also, if all the stadiums are grass, it could result in fewer season-ending injuries which would keep star players on the field, which ultimately makes the NFL a better product.