NFL Players Continue To Shatter Like Glass
Notable superstar NFL Players such as Aaron Rodgers and Nick Chubb, in addition to many others are already out for the season after just 2 weeks.
At the end of week 2, players such as Aaron Rodgers, Nick Chubb, Cooper Kupp, Austin Ekeler, Travis Kelce, Saquon Barkley, and many others have already missed at least one game, with some expected to miss the rest of the season. Injuries are part of football, however they seem to be occurring more often than ever. The most common injuries thus far are mainly leg related, including ACL tears, torn achilles, ankle sprains, and other injuries damaging cartilage in knees. Players and former stars have spoken out as a result of injuries, arguing that the concrete texture of turf is dangerous and harmful to players. Instead, players would prefer to play on the sweet smell of freshly cut blades of grass.
As of September 13th, Roger Goodell, the commissioner of the NFL has stated “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”.
After Aaron Rodgers went down week one with a torn achilles and Nick Chubb suffered a brutal season ending injury in week two, the NFL has begun to question the safety of artificial turf. According to Yahoo sports, “data has also shown that injuries occur almost 0.013 more times per 100 plays on turf than natural grass in 2022 — a steep increase from 2021 where an injury occurred almost the same amount of times.” Artificial grass is the preferred playing ground for a majority of players and is beneficial to players as it is much softer than the concrete feel of turf. A recent poll was sent out to players, asking their opinion on this matter. Results showed that 72% of players preferred playing on grass and that 62% of players expect turf to negatively impact their health after their career. This is not the first time players have spoken out against playing on turf fields. J.C. Tretter, who played for the Cleveland Browns in 2021 and is now the President of the National Football League Players association, has stated for years how players have complained about the turf being too hard, comparing it to concrete. It seems like a no-brainer in terms of turning all fields to artificial grass. The players want it, the teams want it, and even the fans are pushing for it. Turning every field to grass would certainly be a pricey investment for the NFL, however it is crucial to the player’s health and safety of the game.
As a matter of fact, Goodell concludes “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. This is worth the investment and it simply needs to change now.”
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