Raiders' Mark Davis Makes Opinion Clear on Grass vs. Turf Debate

Mark Davis is clear on where he stands with the grass versus turf debate.

Feb 10, 2026; Henderson, NV, USA; Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis at a press conference at Intermountain Health Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

One of the larger debates in the NFL over the last few years has been over grass fields and turf fields.

Most players across the league are very passionate about playing on real grass, but many NFL stadiums still implement turf.

14 NFL stadiums currently use artificial turf instead of real grass, and players have long claimed that it greatly increases the risk of injury. The 2026 FIFA World Cup has brought the heated topic back into the spotlight.

Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup 2026 - Spain Press Conference - Los Angeles Stadium, Inglewood, California, U.S. - July 9, 2026 Spain coach Luis De La Fuente during the press conference REUTERS/Daniel Cole | REUTERS

To meet FIFA's safety rules, several NFL stadiums hosting World Cup matches this summer have replaced their artificial turf with natural grass, including SoFi Stadium, MetLife Stadium, Gillette Stadium, and Lumen Field.

It cost FIFA millions to replace all this turf with real grass, which is a large reason why this debate has been rediscovered. However, Raiders owner Mark Davis has made his opinion clear on the matter.

Mar 30, 2026; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis during the 2026 NFL Annual League Meeting at the Arizona Biltmore. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Raiders Owner Mark Davis Willing To Spend for Grass Field

Allegiant Stadium, the home of the Las Vegas Raiders, is a dome facility with a grass field that can be rolled in and out, which costs millions. Davis has been willing to spend extra dollars to keep the grass field, and one has to admire his passion to protect his players.

In a recent story by AJ Perez of the Los Angeles Times, Davis clearly laid his opinion out on the matter of grass versus turf.

“I just always felt that football should be played on grass,” Davis said. “That’s for safety purposes, No. 1. I want it to look like a game was played even if it’s an indoor field. You see grass stains and everything else. I wasn’t going to a stadium without it being grass once I knew that capability was there. Obviously, it added a lot of cost, but it’s worth it.”

Dec 28, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis on the field prior to a game against the New York Giants at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

A Purist Answer From Davis

You can say whatever you want about Davis, but his priority to keep his players safe is admirable, to say the least. Installing turf is significantly cheaper than installing grass, which is why many NFL fields use it. However, Davis has held his opinion of grass over turf for some time.

Interestingly, despite many players around the NFL believing that turf fields make the game more dangerous, league data has shown no significant injury gap between grass and turf fields. Still, according to Perez's story, a 2024 NFLPA poll of 1,700 players found that a whopping 92% prefer natural grass.

Oct 19, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis looks on prior to the game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Las Vegas Raiders at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

FIFA's spending to convert several NFL stadiums from turf to grass will certainly open the debate about the NFL's future with turf, especially if injuries continue to occur on the turf fields.