Turf vs Grass

On week one of the 2023-24 NFL season, Aaron Rodgers took his fourth snap and awkwardly planted on the Metlife turf, causing his Achilles to tear. With Rodgers out for the season, the Jets highly anticipated season seemed over before it even began. This injury also reignited the question of the use of artificial turf in NFL stadiums. Both the NFLPA and many NFL players are still keen on replacing all turf with natural grass due to fear of its high injury rate, especially in lower extremity injuries and foot and ankle in particular.

In Week 2 of the 2024 NFL season, Cooper Kupp, the Los Angeles Rams' star wide receiver, suffered a serious ankle injury while playing against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium, which has a natural grass field. Kupp left the game after his left ankle rolled awkwardly during a tackle in the second quarter. The injury kept him out of action for weeks, and he was later spotted leaving the locker room wearing a walking boot. Though this injury did not occur on turf, Kupp has been a vocal supporter of playing on natural grass fields, highlighting player safety even though this injury happened on a grass field. He has made it apparent that he prefers grass to artificial turf, saying, "Hands down, we should be playing on grass." Many players are calling for a league-wide switch to natural grass to lower injury risks, and Kupp's injury and remarks afterward have added to the ongoing discussion about the safety of NFL playing surfaces.

The running back for the Baltimore Ravens, J.K. Dobbins, sustained a serious injury against the Houston Texans in the 2023 NFL season opener. Texans safety M.J. Stewart tackled Dobbins close to the goal line after he caught a short pass in the third quarter. He hobbled to the sideline after the play and was then helped by trainers to the locker room. His season was cut short when an MRI revealed a torn Achilles tendon. Dobbins, who had previously missed the entire 2021 season due to a torn ACL, suffered another setback with this injury on turf.

On the artificial turf of MetLife Stadium in Week 7 of the 2021 NFL season, New York Giants safety and team captain Jabrill Peppers sustained a serious lower-extremity injury. In the third quarter against the Carolina Panthers, Peppers was tackled while returning a punt, resulting in a high ankle sprain in his right leg and a ruptured ACL. He became the third Giants captain to suffer a season-ending injury that year, after linebacker Blake Martinez and center Nick Gates, when this regrettable incident ended his season too soon. With players calling for a switch to natural grass in order to lower injury risks, Peppers' injury further fueled the ongoing discussion about the safety of artificial turf in NFL stadiums. ​The NFL has been adamant about producing research on non-contact injuries on turf vs grass but have failed to include injuries such as these where the turf can prevent athletes from being able to remove their leg in time during contact injuries, ultimately causing significant injuries.

Jaelen Phillips, a standout defensive player for the Miami Dolphins, encountered a challenging moment during a play in the recent game against the Buffalo Bills in Week 4. As he swiftly maneuvered on the artificial turf, Phillips suddenly felt a sharp, unexpected pain in his leg, causing him to stumble and halt abruptly. The Dolphins were compelled to readjust their strategy following Phillips' season-ending Achilles tear, highlighting the significant influence such incidents can have on teams and individual players. Catastrophic injuries such as these not only alter player seasons but can have lasting career long effects. These injuries cause decreases in speed, agility, strength and explosiveness for an athlete whose career depends on these skill sets. This unfortunate event reignited the ongoing conversation about the choice between artificial turf and natural grass in professional football, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing athletes' health and safety in a physically demanding sport.

During week 2 of the 2020-21 NFL season, Nick Bosa was getting blocked by Jets tight end Trevon Wesco when his left knee seemed to give out, folding inwards. This resulted in Bosa tearing his ACL and being out for the remainder of the season. At the time, being 22 years old, Bosa was one of the bright young defensive stars, and this injury put his career on hold. This injury further supports the turf issue and its rising occurrence rate, specifically the MetLife turf. While some “experts” argued that the contact involved was a leading cause of the injury, it cannot be ignored that cleats can become stuck in the turf surface, putting athletes at a higher risk of injury than the one sustained by Bosa.

Super Bowl 56 was a back-and-forth battle between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams held an early lead largely due to Odell Beckham Jr., who tallied 52 yards on just 2 catches. However, while driving down the field early in the second quarter, Beckham appeared to have twisted awkwardly on the turf at Sofi Stadium after dropping a pass. Immediately, Beckham grimaced in pain as he threw his helmet off, and the training staff rushed onto the field. Beckham was ruled out of the game, and later, the diagnosis was an ACL tear. This was a massive loss for the Rams, limiting their versatility on offense and heavily relying on Cooper Kupp, who stepped up and delivered as the Rams won their second Super Bowl in a game that came down to the wire.

The 2022-23 Packers were a team with high aspirations, going 11-6 and nearly missing the NFC championship the previous year. These aspirations were raised even higher when Rahsan Gary had his breakout season, totaling 6 sacks in just nine games. However, in his 9th game, against the Detroit Lions on the turf at Ford Field, Gary suffered a non-contact knee injury. This would go on to end his season after an MRI revealed that he had torn his ACL. The Packers would go on to finish that season 8-9, one win shy of a playoff berth. Though not the first of its kind, Gary's injury helps shine a light on the increase of non-contact knee injuries that occur on turf and the increase of these compared to a grass surface.

During Week 2 of the 2020–21 NFL season, Solomon Thomas, a crucial defensive lineman for the San Francisco 49ers at the time, suffered a severe setback on the same MetLife Stadium turf that had just moments before claimed teammate Nick Bosa. Without making any serious contact, Thomas went down clutching his knee on a routine play against the New York Jets. It was quickly determined that he had suffered a torn ACL, effectively ending his season. Early in the season, the 49ers had to rearrange their defensive line after Thomas's loss dealt a serious blow to their defense, which was aiming for the Super Bowl. This injury, which happened on the same turf, became the main discussion topic in the expanding controversy surrounding artificial turf's impact on player injuries in the same game as Bosa's. Players' calls for the NFL to switch from synthetic turf to natural grass were heightened by the setbacks of Solomon and Bosa, underscoring the continuous conflict between player safety and stadium convenience.

During Week 3 of the 2022–23 NFL season, New York Giants wide receiver Sterling Shepard sustained a devastating non-contact injury while playing on the infamously criticized turf at MetLife Stadium. Late in the fourth quarter, Shepard appeared to be out of the action as he jogged downfield, but he suddenly collapsed, clutching his left knee in obvious pain. His season would end early when the MRI results confirmed a torn ACL. In addition to reducing the Giants' offensive depth, this injury rekindled league-wide worries about artificial turf and its possible contribution to a higher risk of non-contact injuries. Shepard's injury, which happened without any physical contact, strengthened the players' calls for all NFL stadiums to switch from artificial turf to natural grass.

In Week 11 of the 2022 NFL season, Wan'Dale Robinson, a rookie wide receiver for the New York Giants, sustained a knee injury at MetLife Stadium while playing the Detroit Lions. Robinson had a career-high nine receptions for 100 yards in the fourth quarter when he was tackled close to the sideline, and his knee gave out. He hit the ground instantly, gripping his knee in agony. His promising first season was cut short when an MRI revealed a torn ACL. Given that multiple players, including Robinson's teammate Sterling Shepard (mentioned earlier in this article) earlier that season, had sustained comparable injuries on the same field, this injury further fueled ongoing discussions about the safety of MetLife Stadium's artificial turf. Advocates and athletes have persisted in demanding a switch to natural grass.