NFL Players Association, after Aaron Rodgers' injury: "It makes no sense that stadiums can flip over to superior grass surfaces when the World Cup comes, or soccer clubs come to visit for exhibition games in the summer, but inferior artificial surfaces are acceptable for our own players."
Wednesday 13 September 2023 16:57, UK
The NFL Players Association has called for the league to eliminate artificial turf pitches in favor of natural grass surfaces following the season-ending injury to four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers this week.
The plea by NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell came two days after Rodgers' much-anticipated debut with the New York Jets came to a quick end when the 39-year-old quarterback tore his Achilles on the team's fourth play from scrimmage in their season opener.
Howell, who took over as NFLPA executive director in June, said in a statement that players overwhelmingly prefer playing on grass and that the issue of surfaces has been near the top of the players' minds during his team visits.
"While we know there is an investment to making this change, there is a bigger cost to everyone in our business if we keep losing our best players to unnecessary injuries," said Howell.
"It makes no sense that stadiums can flip over to superior grass surfaces when the World Cup comes, or soccer clubs come to visit for exhibition games in the summer, but inferior artificial surfaces are acceptable for our own players."
The NFLPA this year released data showing non-contact injuries were more common on artificial turf compared to grass fields during the 2022 NFL regular season.
Rodgers was hurt while getting twisted up awkwardly on a sack against the Buffalo Bills, and Jets head coach Robert Saleh said he did not feel the playing surface caused the injury, adding: "If it was a non-contact injury, I think that'd be something to discuss, obviously."
The story wasn't supposed to go like this. And yet somehow it felt all too New York Jet-ish as a frenzied MetLife Stadium, fizzing with long-lost Super Bowl oomph, fell silent to the sight of Rodgers hitting the turf. Oh boy.
New York pulled out all the Broadway stops. Rodgers was introduced by rapper and actor Method Man, and serenaded by AC/DC's 'I'm kind of a big deal' track "Thunderstruck" with a spotlight stalking him and green lasers dotted around the crowd as he emerged from the tunnel to be greeted by high-fives from his adoring new team-mates. The four-time MVP was here, and so too a new thriving era of Jets contention.
Not since the days of Joe Namath and the 1968 season have the Jets been to a Super Bowl, 37 quarterbacks having tried and failed to carry the mantle passed on by the Big Apple showman over five turbulent decades. Rodgers was deemed the man to finally break the curse.
Four minutes in, he was down. And ultimately out.
Click the link in the sub-heading above to read Cameron Hogwood's feature in full
