Bills' Reid Ferguson Demands NFL Maintain Natural Grass Fields Installed Before World Cup

The longest-tenured Bills player joined a group of fellow NFL veterans pushing for all teams to switch to more suitable playing surfaces, asserting it would be 'worth the cost.'

Bills long snapper Reid Ferguson plays with a soccer ball with kickers b before the start of practice. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Buffalo Bills long snapper Reid Ferguson joined a list of NFL veterans who spoke out this week in an effort to force the league to maintain the natural grass playing surfaces installed inside stadiums used for the 2026 World Cup.

The seven NFL venues that made the change for the World Cup typically use synthetic turf and will transition back to an artificial surface for the 2026 NFL season.

Grass is widely considered a safer option over turf, which is still used in half of the stadiums across the league. But despite most of its players’ preference, and although more than a handful of venues completed the conversion for the World Cup, the league has still refused to mandate teams to keep grass in place for the upcoming football season.

“If stadiums can make grass work for the World Cup, they can make it work for NFL players too,” posted Ferguson to social media. “Thankfully we have switched to grass in Buffalo! #WorthTheCost.”

The Bills are one of 16 of the league’s member organizations that will play on a natural surface in 2026 and beyond after the opening of the new Highmark Stadium this fall. The $2.1 billion stadium has many impressive features, one being its grass field that is equipped with a heating system, allowing it to remain in peak condition throughout the harsh Western New York winter.

Other NFL players have made their feelings clear

The field seen from field level during a media tour of the new Highmark Stadium, home of the Buffalo Bills, Tuesday, June 23, 2026 in Orchard Park. The field is real grass, with an outer ring of artificial turf. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

A previous study conducted by the NFL Players Association showed an increased rate of non-contact injuries occurring on synthetic turf fields when compared to natural grass playing surfaces, increasing player concerns. The Bills have lost several players due to significant lower-body injuries sustained while playing on artifical surfaces in recent seasons, including former cornerback Tre'Davious White, former pass rusher Von Miller and former linebacker Matt Milano.

Still, the league doesn't seem to be close to implementing a sweeping change anytime soon.

“The cost of doing nothing is paid for by players’ bodies,” posted Green Bay Packers linebacker Zaire Franklin. “Make grass mandatory. We’re #WorthTheCost.”

Green Bay is another team that plays on grass, joining the Bills, Pittsburgh Steelers, Las Vegas Raiders, Kansas City Chiefs, Denver Broncos, Jacksonville Jaguars, Miami Dolphins, Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers, Baltimore Ravens, Washington Commanders, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Chicago Bears, Philadelphia Eagles and Arizona Cardinals.

It remains to be seen if the NFL will ever come around and satisfy the players' desire. But it doesn't appear as if the NFLPA and its members plan to back off their stance in the near future.

The World Cup wraps up this weekend, with the third-place playoff between England and France set for Saturday at 5 p.m. ET and the final between Argentina and Spain scheduled for Sunday at 3 p.m. ET.

Several stadiums, including AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX, Lumen Field in Seattle, SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, MA and NRG Stadium in Houston will soon make the change back to turf with Week 1 of the NFL season about two months away. MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ will join that list after hosting Sunday's championship match.