Tag: Grass

Broncos facility updates: New indoor turf + fans at training camp

The Broncos are replacing the turf at their indoor facility, and fans are expected at training camp this year despite facility construction.

The Denver Broncos announced two notable training facility updates during the NFL’s annual meetings in Orlando earlier this week.

The first update was an announcement from team owner/CEO Greg Penner that the team will replace the turf at their indoor Pat Bowlen Fieldhouse. The existing turf still had roughly 10 years left in its estimated lifespan, but the Broncos have decided to replace it with a “state-of-the-art” upgrade.

Better indoor turf could, in theory, reduce injuries for Denver, but changing the turf does not directly impact the fans. The second bit of news does.

The Broncos will soon begin construction on a new facility at their current Dove Valley location, and it remains to be seen how many fans will be able to attend training camp while the new facility is being built.

Denver coach Sean Payton said Monday that the team has not discussed the possibility of holding training camp practices at a different location during construction. The Broncos have not yet decided if construction will begin before or after training camp this summer.

Plans are still being finalized, but the team is currently planning to have fans at training camp despite the construction. Denver had a capacity limit of 3,000 fans at practices last summer, and it wouldn’t be surprising if the limit is even lower during construction.

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Giants owner not ready to sign off on all-grass surface for MetLife

Giants CEO John Mara on the possibility of MetLife switching to a grass field: “We’re not there yet.”

Earlier this year, we learned that MetLife Stadium would host the 2026 FIFA World Cup final and that a grass field would be installed to meet FIFA standards.

So, if that’s the case, why can’t the New York Giants and New York Jets — who play their home games at MetLife — play on grass, too?

“We’re not there yet,” Giants CEO John Mara told reporters at the NFL owners meetings in Orlando, Florida, on Monday when asked about changing the surface to grass.

“I want to get to the point where the experts can tell us that late in the season we can have a safe, playable grass field, and when we get to that point, then maybe we’ll make the switch.”

Another reason is the teams just invested in a new, more player-friendly artificial surface (FieldTurf Core HD) before the 2023 season.

MetLife switched from UBU Speed S5-M as a result of the unusually high number of injuries incurred by players on the old surface over the 13 years since it opened in 2010.

At the Super Bowl, Jets owner Woody Johnson said that he and Mara spoke “once a week” about switching to an all-grass field but the logistics and other feasibility factors, such as weather, were not in their favor.

MetLife Stadium is a year-round venue that hosts large events ranging from sporting events to world-class concerts and entertainment. Maintaining a grass field would be challenging with all of that use.

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Bills players rip ‘terrible’ turf after injury-filled game vs. Jaguars

The Jaguars’ Walker Little and Zay Jones were among the players injured Sunday at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The Buffalo Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars saw several players go down with injuries during their Week 5 game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Jaguars offensive lineman Walker Little and wide receiver Zay Jones were among those players, as both had MRIs on Monday to assess the severity of knee injures suffered Sunday.

According to some Bills players, many of those injuries were a consequence of the playing surface in London. Buffalo cornerback Taron Johnson, who was injured in the third quarter but eventually returned to the game, called the turf “terrible” when asked about the field by The Athletic’s Tim Graham.

“Take that turf out, especially that one,” Johnson told Graham. “I’d rather play on grass. I’m sure 90 to 100 percent of players in the NFL would rather play on grass. I don’t know why we’re playing on stuff like that.

“There were injuries on the field today, some really, really bad. I just feel like the turf has something to do with it.”

Bills offensive lineman Dion Dawkins, who was also injured Sunday but returned to the game, only described the turf as “weird.”

The most significant loss for the Bills was linebacker Matt Milano, who was injured on the same play as Little. While Buffalo hasn’t provided an official prognosis for Milano, he reportedly suffered a fractured leg along with knee damage that could be season ending.

Earlier this week, Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence said the grass in London games hasn’t been much better. He described it as “a little bit slicker” and told reporters that it’s “probably turf I prefer” when playing in the United Kingdom.

Jacksonville hasn’t yet revealed the severity of the injuries suffered by Little and Jones.

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Trevor Lawrence: ‘I prefer grass in the states,’ turf in London

Trevor Lawrence usually doesn’t like turf, but it’s better than the slick grass of the fields in London.

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence typically prefers grass fields to artificial turf. But when his team meets the Buffalo Bills at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, he isn’t worried at all about the London stadium’s turf surface. In fact, he’s a little glad it’s not grass.

“I usually prefer playing on grass, but the grass over here is a little bit different,” Lawrence told reporters Wednesday. “Especially for the soccer field, it’s a little bit slicker. I don’t know if that’s intentionally just for the ball, I’m sure, rolls better on it. Our grass is different in the states.

“I prefer grass in the states. I think here, turf is a little better for footing and cutting and all that stuff. Probably turf I prefer, so the guys don’t slip as much. Either way, I don’t think it poses a big issue.”

At Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Premier League matches are played on a natural grass surface. But when the venue hosts NFL games, the playing field splits and rolls into a garage. The American football games are then played on the turf field underneath.

The NFL Player’s Association has made a push for teams to ditch artificial turf fields which tend to cause more injuries. In the Jaguars’ last two trips to MetLife Stadium to play the New York Jets, they lost running back James Robinson and pass rusher Dawuane Smoot to torn Achilles tendons.

The Jaguars’ EverBank Stadium has used a natural grass surface since it opened in 1995.

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Patrick Mahomes takes a side in the grass vs. turf debate

#Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes made his thoughts on the grass vs. turf debate clear in comments to the media on Wednesday.

An Achilles tear sustained by Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers on Monday caused a familiar football debate to reemerge.

Rodgers’ injury happened on a turf field, and some quickly speculated that the injury may not have occurred if the game was played on natural grass.

 

But where does Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ opinion lie in the discussion?

“I think it’s pretty simple, the numbers say that grass is healthier for the players,” Mahomes said during Wednesday’s press conference. “I want to play on the best surface that will keep me healthy.”

Mahomes, who plays on a natural grass field at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, makes a solid point. Data exists that backs up the fact that more injuries occur on turf, while others (including NFL execs) say their data suggests otherwise.

However, it’s in the NFL’s best interest to use artificial turf given its cost-effectiveness and ease of maintenance. So, naturally, some would argue their data would obviously vouch for the cheapest option.

Regardless, it’s a hot topic that’ll likely continue to be discussed as the NFL is now split 50/50, with 15 NFL stadiums using turf vs. 15 stadiums using natural grass. If more injuries occur on turf fields, the more likely players are going to speak up.

Von Miller stars in commercial calling for NFL to switch from turf to grass

In a new commercial for Pennington Grass Seed, Von Miller calls for the NFL to switch from artificial turf to natural grass fields.

The NFL Players Association has been lobbying for the league to abandon artificial turf in favor of natural grass, a move that the NFLPA says would help make football safer by reducing the number of injuries that happen on turf.

One of football’s biggest stars, Buffalo Bills pass rusher Von Miller, has joined the NFLPA’s campaign by teaming up with Pennington Grass Seed for a commercial promoting natural grass playing surfaces for football (the Bills are among 16 NFL teams who play on turf).

In an ad that Pennington says was rejected by a network for the NFL draft, Miller says until turf is off the field, “draft day will always be painful.”

Here is the minute-long ad from Pennington Grass Seed’s YouTube channel:

“The game will take a toll on your — twisted ankles, torn ACLs — your body pushed to the brink,” Miller says in the commercial. “We all knew the risk when we signed up, but why do injuries have to come direct from the field?”

Miller spent the first 10 and a half years of his career with the Denver Broncos. While playing for the Broncos in 2013, Miller tore his ACL in a road game against the Houston Texans, who play on turf.

Miller now plays for the Bills and he suffered another torn ACL last season during a road game against the Detroit Lions, who also play on turf.

The Broncos play their home games at Empower Field at Mile High on natural grass. Last fall, the team’s ownership group paid $400,000 to have the field replaced for the final home game of the season in an effort to give players a safe playing surface.

Clearly, Denver’s ownership group believes natural grass is a worthwhile investment, but half of the league still plays on synthetic turf, which is cheaper to maintain. For safety reasons, players want all 32 teams playing on natural grass, and Miller is now an official spokesperson for the cause.

“It’s time to put the players first,” Miller says in the ad. “Get turf off the fields and bring back grass.”

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Brandon McManus joins NFL players calling for league to abandon turf for grass

NFL players — including Broncos kicker Brandon McManus — want the league to ban turf fields in favor of natural grass.

Denver Broncos kicker Brandon McManus has joined a growing group of NFL players who turned to Twitter in recent days to call for the league to abandon turf fields in favor of natural grass surfaces.

The Broncos play on grass at Empower Field at Mile High, but they will play on multiple turf fields in road games this season.

McManus pointed out on Twitter on Saturday that NFL stadiums with turf will convert to grass fields for the World Cup in 2026.

“When the 2026 FIFA World Cup comes to the US, our NFL stadiums with turf will convert to grass. Why? Because grass is a much safer playing surface,” the kicker tweeted. “But for us, their own players, they want us to compete on inferior surfaces.”

NFLPA president JC Tretter wrote an article over the weekend calling for the league to immediately replace and ban all slit film turf surfaces, and dozens of players joined McManus in tweeted about #SaferFields.

Panthers WR Robby Anderson not a fan of new playing field: ‘Turf is fake’

Wide receiver Robby Anderson wasn’t afraid to say that he’s not a fan, though.

The Carolina Panthers will be playing on a turf surface this coming season for the first time in franchise history. Players got to try it out on Friday night during their Fan Fest training camp practice. Afterwards, running back Christian McCaffrey gave a diplomatic answer, saying it is what it is and there’s positives and negatives to grass and turf alike.

Wide receiver Robby Anderson wasn’t afraid to say that he’s not a fan, though. Here’s what he said following Monday’s practice.

Turf is fake and more dangerous when it comes to injuries. It is cheaper than grass, though. With David Tepper’s soccer team taking the field next year it will be much easier to maintain between the two clubs than a natural surface.

As for Anderson, he had missed the previous few practices due to a family matter. He returned to practice today and made a stunning one-handed catch.

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Alvin Kamara goes to Tyrann Mathieu for tips on playing at Tiger Stadium

New Orleans Saints RB Alvin Kamara knows he could be playing home games at Tiger Stadium, so he went to LSU product Tyrann Mathieu for tips.

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It’s still a developing situation, but the New Orleans Saints could take their show on the road. They haven’t received clearance from New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell to fill the Mercedes-Benz Superdome to partial capacity during the COVID-19 public health crisis, so the Saints are looking into hosting their five remaining home games at LSU’s Tiger Stadium.

That’s a thought that excites Saints coach Sean Payton. And it’s made superstar Saints running back Alvin Kamara curious. He never played against LSU or visited Tiger Stadium in his two years with the Tennessee Volunteers, so he asked a friend who would know about what to expect from playing on that venue’s grass: Kansas City Chiefs safety and former Tigers standout Tyrann Mathieu.

There’s a big difference between running on the artificial turf at the Superdome versus natural grass, and it’s something Kamara wisely wants to prepare for. He’ll have to wear different cleats and put different punishment on his feet, as will everyone else. So it’s good to know he has a trusted source.

Tiger Stadium is paved with “Celebration Bermuda Grass,” a unique strain among its peers. While Kamara has played on similar Bermuda variants in road games with the Carolina Panthers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, and Chicago Bears, no NFL stadium uses this specific grass. In fact, the only other college programs to carpet their football fields with it are North Texas and South Florida.

Payton has been mindful of different playing surfaces in the past; back in 2017, he offered to foot the bill for free pedicures after getting his players to wear longer studs in a game with the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Wherever the Saints play their next game (they’ll exit the Week 6 bye with a home matchup against the Carolina Panthers lined up), they’ll take steps to prepare accordingly.

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