The NFL Players Association (NFLPA) This Wednesday he asked the league directors to make the migration from artificial grass to natural grass in a scaled manner. in order to avoid serious injuries like the one New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers suffered last Monday.
Through the association’s direct executive, Lloyd Howell, the request was made so that players do not continue to suffer the consequences of playing on artificial grass.
Although the group’s request is supported in the attempt to take care of the health of the players, the NFLPA knows that it is a change that requires a large investment not only at the time of making the change but also in the daily care of the surface.
“All fields must be changed to high-quality natural grass surfaces. We know this change requires investment, but there is a greater cost if we continue to lose our best players to unnecessary injuries. “It is the easiest decision the NFL can make,” Howell requested.
Later Howell showed reports from the players themselves and their environment where they stated that playing on natural grass is safer than artificial grass.
“Players overwhelmingly prefer natural grass and the data is clear. This is safer than artificial grass. “It is an issue that has been at the top of the list of player requests during my visits to each team and that I have raised with the NFL,” the manager said.
However, the probability that the application to the league will be successful is quite high Taking into account that the 2026 World Cup will be held in the United States and in seven NFL stadiums, which will also be used in the tournament, natural grass must be implemented per FIFA policies.
“It makes no sense that stadiums can switch to natural grass surfaces when the World Cup arrives, but artificial surfaces remain acceptable for our players. It is worth the investment and you simply have to change it now“Howell argued.
Currently, among the 30 stadiums that host games for the 32 NFL teams (Jets and Giants share headquarters in New York, as do the Chargers and Rams in Los Angeles), 15 have natural grass and the other half use artificial grass. .
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