NLFPA Executive Director Calls for All NFL Teams to Change to Grass Surface
For years, players around the league have voiced their frustrations with playing on turf fields over grass. There is data out there on the NFLPA website that shows the injury rate that occurs on synthetic grass versus natural grass, particularly pertaining to soft tissue injuries.
Monday night, New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles on his fourth snap of the game, thus ending his season. Just four snaps into the year and the Jets' Super Bowl hopes feel like they vanished. Rodgers' injury, of course, happened at MetLife Stadium which is a turf surface.
Wednesday morning, NFLPA Executive Director Lloyd Howell issued a statement calling for all NFL teams to play on natural grass.
Last year, the Carolina Panthers' Bank of America Stadium turf was, according to some Detroit Lions players, like playing on concrete. The NFL uses a tool called the 'Clegg' test which measures the hardness of the field in terms of units of gravity.
"Last year on Christmas Eve, Carolina’s field failed the Clegg test," said NFLPA Preside J.C. Tretter. "For a surface to pass this test, it must measure below 100g (units of gravities), and the meter for this test goes up to a maximum of 150g. When the field in Carolina was tested during the pregame check, it came back as -- you guessed it -- 150g.
"However, instead of delaying the game or finding another way to fix the issue, the league gave the green light to kick off the game as scheduled," Tretter outlined in his report. "Afterward, the league told us that late in the first half, the field finally did fall below the 100g max. But the fact remains that the players in that game had to play on a field that the league acknowledges was not safe. That is beyond frustrating to players and unacceptable in the eyes of our union."
One of the main reasons the Panthers made the switch from grass to turf was so that they could host more events like concerts and Charlotte FC home games. By switching they don't have to resod the surface constantly which costs a pretty penny.
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