Over the past few years, it’s become very clear based on the data that serious injuries are more likely to occur on artificial turf compared to on natural grass playing surfaces. And as a result, the players want the NFL to make a change.
During his recent public comments, NFL Players Association executive director Lloyd Howell called for the NFL to install natural grass surfaces in all stadiums across the league, saying “the data is clear that grass is simply safer than artificial turf.”
“Moving all stadium fields to high quality natural grass surfaces is the easiest decision the NFL can make,” Howell said according to Pro Football Talk.
“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 this change, there is a bigger cost to everyone in our business if we keep losing our 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 clubs come to visit for exhibition games 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.”
It’s a bold statement, and the NFL world had plenty to say about it on social media.
This article mentions that owners won’t want to replace turf fields because it will make hosting concerts more difficult. The Phillies, for example, host Billy Joel every summer and they don’t seem to have a problem. There is no valid excuse to keep artificial turf fields. None. https://t.co/B7mEDVAXpl
— Birds and Beers Podcast (@BirdzAndBeerz) September 13, 2023
Outstanding! What a great first move by Howell. https://t.co/6wv1oUqCBT
— Anthony Martin WV (@AnthonyMartinWV) September 13, 2023
https://twitter.com/clintperez/status/1701959010688098687?s=20
Definitely not https://t.co/kJv074fTxv
— Shlomo Sprung (@SprungOnSports) September 13, 2023
This is something the @NFLPA can control at next CBAhttps://t.co/X07VbHxqNx
— David J. Chao – ProFootballDoc (@ProFootballDoc) September 13, 2023
https://twitter.com/cheneyrock/status/1701961926874468856?s=20
We’ll have to see if this ever comes to fruition.
