Saturday September 30, 2023

NFLPA President Tretter Calls for NFL Teams to Remove Artificial Turf

  • Tretter cites data on turf’s harsh impact on the body.
  • Five 49ers players suffered lower-leg injuries playing at MetLife Field in Week 2.
NFLPA President Tretter Calls for NFL Teams to Remove Artificial Turf
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Front Office Sports Today

Donovan McNabb and the State of Football

From Taylor Swift to the Prime Effect, there's a lot going on in the world of football.
Listen Now
September 29, 2023 | Podcast
Linkedin
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

In an open letter posted online, NFL Players Association President JC Tretter called for all NFL franchises to make their fields natural grass — rather than turf — citing its negative impact on the body. 

“As a rookie learning the ins and outs of being a professional football player, I remember the collective groan that my older teammates made whenever it was announced that we’d be practicing indoors on artificial turf instead of the usual outdoor grass field. I played almost exclusively on synthetic turf in college,” Tretter writes.

“Once I started experiencing both surfaces interchangeably, I began to understand exactly why my teammates disliked the practices on turf,” he added. “Whenever I practiced on an artificial field surface, my joints felt noticeably stiffer the next day. The unforgiving nature of artificial turf compounds the grind on the body we already bear from playing a contact sport.”

His letter comes as the first three weeks of the NFL season have seen a high rate of injuries, including five significant lower leg ones to the San Francisco 49ers alone when they played on turf at MetLife Stadium including five significant lower leg ones to the San Francisco 49ers alone when they played on turf at MetLife Stadium in Week 2. 

In total, 13 NFL teams have turf fields. 

Niners defensive lineman Arik Armstead was among the players to blame the turf, tweeting after the game: “@nfl fix this trash MetLife turf. 2020 is so wack.” The league inspected the field in the week following and reaffirmed that it met standards. 

Tretter cites NFL injury data collected from 2012 to 2018 that shows that the contact injury rate for lower extremities was higher during practices and games held on artificial turf, and that NFL players “consistently experienced a much higher rate of non-contact lower extremity injuries on turf compared to natural surfaces.”

The data showed that players had a 28% higher rate of non-contact lower extremity injuries when playing on artificial turf. Of those non-contact injuries, players had a 32% higher rate of non-contact knee injuries on turf and a 69% higher rate of non-contact foot/ankle injuries on turf compared to grass.

Another study from The American Journal of Sports Medicine found, based on data collected from 2012-2016, that play on synthetic turf resulted in a 16% increase in lower extremity injuries per play than that on natural turf in the NFL.

“This data is clear, so everyone involved with our sport should be similarly motivated to make this switch,” Tretter writes. “For players, we can be stronger advocates for ourselves by continuing to demand safer standards. For coaches and general managers, building a successful team is much easier with a healthy roster.”

“For NFL owners, any decision shown to protect their most important investments — the players — should be a no-brainer.”

The issue of turf safety is not a new one in sports.

It rose to prominence ahead of the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup, where several venues in host country Canada used turf fields — no FIFA men’s World Cup match has ever been played on turf.Former U.S. Women’s national team forward Abby Wambach and a group of other players filed a lawsuit against FIFA and the Canadian Soccer Association in 2014, but eventually dropped the claim when FIFA refused to budge on using the surface. 

In the USWNT’s separate gender discrimation suit, SI reported in May that U.S. Soccer was granted summary judgment on the most consequential portions — including the USWNT’s complaint of alleged unsafe play on artificial turf. Players argued that U.S. Soccer forced the women’s team to play on turf — which the team deems inferior — as a result of “discriminatory animus,” since it happens more frequently than with the men’s team.

While the NFL and NFLPA have called on artificial turf manufacturers to try to develop surfaces that meet specifications that would make them safer — and for cleat manufacturers to develop footwear that could make turf safer — Tretter said clubs should “proactively change all field surfaces to natural grass” until those changes might happen. 

Linkedin
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

A detailed view of some NFL footballs before the Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars game at EverBank Stadium.

New NFL Policy Toughens on Game Fixing, Betting on Own Team

However, the league is also lightening up on lesser violations.
Mississippi tackle Michael Oher poses with his family after being selected as the number 23 overall pick to the Baltimore Ravens in the 2009 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.

Judge Ends Michael Oher’s Conservatorship with Tuohy Family

Oher claims the Tuohys misrepresented their legal relationship to him.
Toy Story

‘Toy Story’ Success Could Lead to More Disney-Branded NFL Kid-Casts

A successful ‘Toy Story’ game could open the door for other franchises.
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce on field after the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.

Taylor Swift Shaking Up Travis Kelce, Chiefs Prop Betting Market

Sportsbooks are capitalizing with Taylor Swift-themed prop bets.
podcast thumbnail mobile
Front Office Sports Today

Donovan McNabb and the State of Football

0:00
0:00

Featured Today

Ryder Cup’s Future Hanging In The Balance Amid Saudi Disruption

An unexpected change could be coming to the Ryder Cup.
September 29, 2023

Colorado Has Become the Hollywood of College Football. This Weekend Proves It.

Folsom Field will welcome dozens of Hollywood stars on Saturday.
Taylor Swift reacts while sitting next to Donna Kelce watching the Kansas City Chiefs vs Chicago Bears game during the first half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
September 28, 2023

Taylor Swift Is Affecting The NFL, Chiefs Ticket Markets

Swift will visit her second NFL stadium in as many weeks.
BioSteel
September 28, 2023

BioSteel Bankruptcy Shows Perils of Costly Sports Partnerships

BioSteel spent heavily on partnerships deals before bankruptcy.

Careers

Powered By

Careers in Sports

Looking for a new job? Check out these featured listings and search for openings all over the world.
Chicago Cubs
Chicago
Fanatics
New York
Tri Star Sports and Entertainment Group, Inc.
USA - Multiple Locations

O’s New Lease Deal Continues Stadium-Centered Development Trend

MLB club gains 99-year development rights agreement for ballpark area
A rendering of plans for a new arena and surrounding entertainment district in Reno, Nevada.
September 29, 2023

Nevada Basketball Arena Centerpiece of $1B Private Investment in Reno

It's the largest private investment in the city's history.
It would be the most expensive school stadium ever built in Texas if approved.
September 22, 2023

A $94M High School Football Stadium Coming In Texas?

It would be the most expensive school stadium ever built in Texas.
The toy brand is opening NERF-themed action parks with battle blaster zones, obstacle courses, sports challenges, and retail.
September 22, 2023

Old-School Fun with a Modern Twist, NERF Delivers Playgrounds

Hasbro is launching NERF-themed entertainment venues in Tennessee and New Jersey.
September 21, 2023

FIFA, Kroenke Clash Over SoFi Stadium's World Cup Revenue Sharing

SoFi Stadium's hosting of World Cup matches may be in jeopardy.
Sports Illustrated's first college town resort will open near the University of Alabama in 2025 with a hotel, condominiums, fitness center, and other amenities.
September 21, 2023

Sports Illustrated Expands Its Footprint with College Town Resorts

SI's first sports-themed resort will open in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
RFK
September 20, 2023

RFK Stadium Bill Advances in Congress

Congress' vote is the first step towards returning the NFL to D.C.
USL Championship side Oakland Roots home soccer field
September 20, 2023

As Sports Teams Exit Bay Area, Pro Soccer Gains Notable Win

The USL club Oakland Roots could be close to building a new stadium.