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NFL calls for grass instead of grass

Aaron Rodgers has been successful in every NFL stadium except one. And while Lambeau Field’s “frost tundra” has brought swelling and bruising, the artificial turf sites have been even harsher for Rodgers’ nearly 39-year-old body.

“I really think it’s time to get across the pitch throughout the league,” the four-time MVP said Tuesday, echoing a growing sentiment that has become a major theme around the NFL.

Players Association President JC Tretter called for six venues to change their playing surfaces immediately last weekend, saying the artificial turf in those stadiums resulted in higher injury rates when compared Compare non-contact and lower extremity injuries such as ankle sprains and torn knee ligaments.

Players from Seattle to Miami, from New England to Los Angeles, loudly supported Tretter. Rodgers, the 10-time Pro Bowl-winning quarterback for Green Bay who has played in every stadium except Las Vegas, thinks there’s a way for the league to move quickly to grass.

“A lot of money in this league,” he said. “It’s about the cost. I don’t know how much it will cost. …But the league is doing pretty well.”

Does Rodgers think it will be done?

“No, to be honest,” he said. “I’m not very confident that the federation made that decision without some huge votes and grip from some owners who don’t want to spend the money. … This will put your money in your mouth. Yours is if player safety is important.”

The NFL didn’t acknowledge the need for new grass. Jeff Miller, the NFL’s executive vice president of communications, public affairs and policy, said in a statement Saturday that the injury rate on grass and turf is about the same.

The federation-provided data do not distinguish between the three grasses used: single, double, and slit membranes. Tretter is particularly exceptional with the slit film surfaces used in Cincinnati, Detroit, Indianapolis, Minnesota, New Orleans and New York.

The players repeated Tretter’s pleas, and even some coaches joined the push.

“I prefer natural grass,” said Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid. “I’ve heard all the studies, the density studies, I’ve seen all the different compounds they’ve put in there. I still like grass.”

So do most players.

“You feel the difference when you’re running,” says Minnesota Viking re-run Dalvin Cook. “If we can fix it, fix it. Let’s create the safest atmosphere for us to play.”

Detroit Amon-Ra St. recipients. Brown added: “I actually prefer playing on grass. It’s more forgiving, more natural and feels better. I feel better in my joints, ankles and other things.”

Jacksonville Jaguars Safety Rayshawn Jenkins calls artificial turf the equivalent of playing in a parking lot, saying, “I’m being smashed into concrete. It doesn’t feel good.”

The Carolina Panthers close-ended Tommy Tremble saw teammate Donte Jackson tear his Achilles tendon at home – the latest in a series of end-of-season injuries suffered on the pitch.

“The boys got badly hurt from that stuff,” Tremble said. “I understand its usability, but this is a billion dollar business and I think where we should be putting the money should be on the players because if we have the pitch and can continue playing fight, the money will keep coming in. You see the stars always going down because of it.”

The Panthers have urged owner David Tepper to switch to grass during the off-season. Sure, it costs more in the long run, but technological advances have made turf fields more tolerant of all conditions found in the NFL: hot, cold, humid and dry. Two indoor locations – in Arizona and Las Vegas – feature rolling grass fields in the sun.

Fourteen of the NFL’s 30 venues still use the artificial turf version. Hellas Matrix Turf used in Dallas, Houston and Los Angeles is considered the best. It is created using textured and twisted monofilament.

Meanwhile, the slit film has fibers sliced ​​into a honeycomb shape. It is suitable for regular use, but the concern is whether the shims will get caught in the honeycomb.

“They don’t have bad courts in this league, but there are better courts,” said Julian Love, safety of the New York Giants. “There is one type of surface that has proven to be better. We happen to play on the lowest surface in the league, so you want to see those standards go up.”

Rodgers suggested switching from artificial turf to grass would be costly. It will cost about $500,000 for demolition, new rock bed and irrigation (drainage system can be reused) and another $350,000 for land laying. Cold weather teams, including indoor players, are lucky if the new grass lasts a month before it needs to be replaced again.

One potential compromise would be to put thick lining on top of the fakes and swap it out several times over the course of a football season.

Any tweaks would be a welcome relief for most players.

“I knew that after the surgery and when I was out playing on the pitch, it was going to be different,” says Cincinnati Bengals DJ Reader. “It beats a lot harder. I feel a lot more pain after the games.”

Tretter, a longtime NFL center that has played in Green Bay and Cleveland, began an anti-artificial turf campaign two years ago after San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan and players expressed concern about the issue. lawn of MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

Full-back Nick Bosa, holding midfielder Jimmy Garoppolo, defensive player Solomon Thomas and full-backs Raheem Mostert and Tevin Coleman all suffered lower-body injuries late in the game that day.

Incidentally, Thomas is currently playing for the Jets. He is one of many calling for immediate change.

“No one knows the beating our bodies take on the pitch better than we – the players,” Thomas posted on Twitter. “This sport is already violent enough. We shouldn’t take more damage from the field either.”

All of those 49ers’ injuries prompted a review involving representatives from the NFL, NFLPA, MetLife Stadium, the Jets, the Giants, the grass producer and an independent field inspector. . They concluded that the school met all applicable standards and protocols for NFL surfaces.

In a statement to the Associated Press on Thursday night, MetLife Stadium announced that their turf will be replaced before next season – but not with grass.

“We evaluate our pitches every season and have historically replaced our playgrounds every three to four years,” the statement said. “We have made the decision to replace the field in 2023 and are currently reviewing proposals from multiple suppliers for a new synthetic surface.”

NJ Advance Media and ESPN first reported the planned changes at MetLife Stadium.

Two years after starting his campaign, Tretter – now with players like Rodgers behind him – insists standards need to be raised around the NFL.

“As players, we have a simple message for the league: stop talking, stop media, stop pretending to care,” he said. “And if you’re really concerned, take actionable steps to fix the issues our union has identified, especially those that you’re actually in agreement with.”



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