In light of Aaron Rodgers’ injury on MNF, the NFLPA released an official statement today. Executive director Lloyd Howell wants all NFL teams to change their playing surfaces to grass. Rodgers’ tore his Achilles tendon at MetLife Stadium on Monday night after just four plays.
However, on Tuesday, NFL executive vice president Jeff Miller had a different statement. He said the league has not found a difference in Achilles injury rates on turf vs. grass. That contradicts what executive director Lloyd Howell had to say. One thing is for sure, this will be an ongoing debate between the league and its players in the near future.
Even high-ranking members of the NFL are unsure of what surface is best for their players moving forward
New NFLPA Executive Director Lloyd Howell on grass v turf fields: pic.twitter.com/JItYsQdxg3
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 13, 2023
The Giants and Jets share MetLife stadium. Over the past few seasons, MetLife had been known for causing more injuries than most other NFL playing surfaces. That’s why the field was changed to a multilayer dual-polymer monofilament fiber called FieldTurf Core. In the past, it had been slit-film surface. After Aaron Rodgers‘ injury on Monday night. some Jets players are still asking for grass.
Currently, 14 of the 30 NFL stadiums do not use grass as their playing surface. Executive director Lloyd Howell said that players “overwhelmingly” prefer grass vs. turf. He states in worth the investment around the league and a chance needs to happen.
What causes an Achilles tear? We’ve seen two this weekend. @ProFootballDoc joined the guys this morning to talk about turf vs grass and what exactly why this happened to Aaron Rodgers and if we could see him back this season.#TakeFlight #sportsradio pic.twitter.com/ZPobBnaVaF
— SportsGridRadio (@SportsGridRadio) September 12, 2023
In the turf vs. grass argument, European soccer teams become part of the discussion. Overseas, European soccer leagues like the English Premier League prefer to play on natural surfaces. They take care of their world-class athletes and don’t make them play on turf. Soccer is the most popular sport in Europe, and the NFL is the most popular in America.
If teams really want to take care of their athletes and reduce injury, switching to grass might be the best move. This issue is not going to change overnight and it may take a while. If turf surfaces continue causing more significant injuries, something has to be done.
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