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.
Congrats @nfl. How many more players have to get hurt on ARTIFICIAL TURF??! You care more about soccer players than us. You plan to remove all artificial turf for the World Cup coming up. So clearly it’s feasible.
I’m sick of this..Do better!— David Bakhtiari (@DavidBakhtiari) September 12, 2023
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.