"Flip the turf" - Players urge NFL to shift from turf following Odell Beckham Jr's game-ending injury during Super Bowl 2022
When Odell Beckham Jr. went down with what appears to possibly be a torn ACL in Super Bowl 2022, the energy at SoFi Stadium immediately shifted. Beckham was arguably on his way to winning the Super Bowl MVP before suffering the injury late in the second quarter with two catches, 52 yards and a touchdown.
After Beckham got injured in Super Bowl 2022, three San Francisco 49ers players took to Twitter to voice their frustrations over the NFL playing on artificial turf fields.
The debate over why the NFL plays on turf rather than grass has gone on for a long time. Beckham's injury only furthered that debate.
Among those 49ers who tweeted out were George Kittle, Deebo Samuel, and Nick Bosa.
I’ve been saying, artificial turf feels like playing on cement. It’s time to play smarter, not harder! Help us #FlipTheTurf by signing the petition change.org/fliptheturf @Penningtonlawn #penningtonpartner
👀I’ve been saying, artificial turf feels like playing on cement. It’s time to play smarter, not harder! Help us #FlipTheTurf by signing the petition change.org/fliptheturf @Penningtonlawn #penningtonpartner https://t.co/Z3z27P9Row
16 of the 32 NFL teams play on grass, while the other 16 play on artificial turf. With the likes of superstar-caliber players such as Samuel, Kittle and Bosa coming out against artificial turf and including petitions to make a change, it's fair to wonder if the NFL will feel pressure from its players and fans to make a change.
Odell Beckham Jr. injury in Super Bowl 2022 may cause him to miss next season
Super Bowl 2022 could've been the wake-up call NFL owners have needed to transition away from turf fields in favor of natural grass.
One of the league's premier players in Beckham may possibly miss next season if it is confirmed that he has indeed torn an ACL in his left knee. He tore the ACL in that same knee in November 2020 as a member of the Cleveland Browns.
In a study conducted by the NFL Players Association published in 2020 by President J.C. Tretter, astonishing data was made public. Players on turf were found to be significantly more likely to suffer injuries, particularly non-contact injuries, as was Beckham's case. Tretter's post read,
"Artificial turf is significantly harder on the body than grass. Based on NFL injury data collected from 2012 to 2018, not only was the contact injury rate for lower extremities higher during practices and games held on artificial turf, NFL players consistently experienced a much higher rate of non-contact lower extremity injuries on turf compared to natural surfaces. Specifically, players have a 28% higher rate of non-contact lower extremity injuries when playing on artificial turf. Of those non-contact injuries, players have a 32% higher rate of non-contact knee injuries on turf and a staggering 69% higher rate of non-contact foot/ankle injuries on turf compared to grass."
Those numbers are frighteningly alarming. Owners who play on turf fields will use the argument that they can't maintain a grass field (especially if they're in a dome stadium.) There are financial implications as well, as grass fields are more expensive in the long-term to maintain than turf fields.
NFL players have been begging for natural grass at all stadiums. Team owners love the revenue turf brings them. If OBJ's knee injury is serious, the field turf here didn't do him any favors. twitter.com/BMac_SportsTal…
Super Bowl 2022 was proof that being cost-effective isn't worth the risk of injury. Since the NFL PA's study, there have been numerous injuries to star players.
Hopefully, for the sake of the NFL's players, more teams are convinced to move away from turf fields in favor of the safer option. With prominent players leading the charge, there is a decent chance of that happening.