Posted on 05/13/2026 3:57:40 PM PDT by nickcarraway
NFLPA head: Players strongly want 'high quality' grass fields play
Jordan Raanan May 12, 2026, 12:00 PM ET Share LikeLike Open Extended Reactions LikeCelebrateFire 558 While NFL players watch some of their stadiums get new grass fields installed for upcoming FIFA World Cup games, it only reinforces their desire to move away from turf.
Fifteen of the 30 NFL stadiums use some sort of artificial turf for American football games. Players have become more vocal in recent years about their desire to play on grass.
"What we want is good grass fields. Good, solid fields," NFLPA executive director JC Tretter said recently on the "Not Just Football" podcast hosted by Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman Cam Heyward. "You don't just want to pull out the [municipal] golf course grass. On every field, you want high-quality surfaces. I think one thing is understanding what our players care about. And there is something there that the data hasn't been able to spit back out at us. Which if you ask every player that we polled, 1,700 players, 92% say they want grass over turf.
"There is something about the feeling of being on grass, the body feels different. I think if you ask the coaches, just standing on grass vs. standing on turf for three hours feels different. There is something there that impacts the body."
Tretter said the talking point is that the injury rates on turf vs. grass have become marginal. But he added that if you look deeper into the numbers, turf injuries have held relatively steady. Grass injury rates have gotten worse.
So it's not just the idea of NFL stadiums having grass instead of turf. Tretter said he wants quality grass fields that reach certain unspecified standards.
"I think it's important for us to have metrics to enforce them, making sure the stadiums are being used predominantly for football games, especially when having concerts and monster truck rallies, those are all things owners make money off. The players don't make money off it," he said. "The idea that, hey, we're going to host these events that means we have to put a worse surface on there for you and you don't actually get any of that money for those events we're hosting isn't a great thing for the players either. And that is what we have to evaluate for the next deal."
The current CBA runs through 2030.
The NFL and NFLPA agreed late last year to a new model for selecting playing surfaces in stadiums, one that will require teams to choose from an approved set of metrics and styles for both natural and synthetic fields. The policy will apply to any teams that plan to replace their surfaces for the 2026 season. By the 2028 season, all stadiums will be required to have approved fields.
FIFA uses only grass fields for the World Cup. MetLife Stadium, AT&T Field, Gillette Stadium, Lumen Field, NRG Stadium, SoFi Stadium and Mercedes-Benz Stadium all use some sort of artificial turf for NFL games but will have natural grass for the matches this summer.
The installation process began in recent weeks, with the tournament expected to commence on June 11. The United States opens June 12 against Paraguay at SoFi Stadium, home of the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers.
"You look at FIFA, they're rolling out the green carpet for soccer players. And that has become the norm," Tretter said. "Over in European leagues, that is what you do. You play on grass. They have surface standards that each thing is rolled out. It's exactly how it's supposed to be. And those players will not play if it's not that."
And how do you explain soccer players need real grass?
I played all my football on real grass. But my brother played some games on fancy turf fields, and he didn’t like it at all.
Pro soccer fields are mowed much like a golf course green to reduce the friction on the ball. Plus it is more of a spring thru fall sport so the grass can continue to grow during the season.
Soccer play is not concentrated in the center of the field unlike football, where that area gets the most damage during the season.
It is different footing for sure
FedEx Field (Washington Commanders): Consistently ranked among the worst by players and fans due to a constantly failing, muddy natural grass surface that caused injuries.
Soldier Field has long been criticized for poor playing surface quality, often requiring multiple re-soddings per season due to subpar turf, heavy use from summer concerts, and poor drainage. The grass frequently becomes torn up, loose, and dangerous for players late in the season, leading to it being ranked among the worst fields in the NFL.
Grass isn't any better than artificial surfaces that many teams are now opting for... Artificial surfaces offer consistency... Something you can't achieve with natural turf.
Playing on a wet muddy field is dangerous... Playing on frozen ground is dangerous... Playing in the NFL is dangerous.
Only since the 70’s. I guess you know better than the actual players?
That’s not very efficient. On average, aren’t they walking around on the field about six hours per month for less than half the year? And for each game they’re only actually playing about 15 minutes.
Plenty of grass fields also cause injuries... It’s a dangerous sport. If you don’t like watching injuries, or as a player getting injured... Find another pastime, or job.
Lawn darts for instance.
I’ve played on turf. It was rainy and it was an outdoor field. You could only play straight forward. If you tried end runs or wide outs you’d fall flat on your ass, no traction whatsoever. Give me s natural field any day.
CC
Bro, we ALL want high quality grass fields
Green grass and high tides forever.
But my brother played some games on fancy turf fields, and he didn’t like it at all.
making sure the stadiums are being used predominantly for football games
Players want high quality grass, period.
Very appropriate to quote Cam Heyward, as the Steelers’ Acrisure Stadium has one of the worst turfs in the NFL.
Knew I could count on you for the southern rock nod
Gotta wonder why the sportscasters aren’t screaming about it. I guess the natural turf is just not as pretty to broadcast on the network.
Bring back the games played on the sloppy field.
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