George Kittle doesn’t hold back on playing at the Giants MetLife stadium: “No NFL field should be the butt of a joke”
The 49ers TE has no issues playing on artificial turf but feels that no NFL field should be the butt of a joke: “It’s weird to me”.
The San Francisco 49ers returned to winning ways at the weekend, Sunday’s road trip ending with a 34-24 win against the New York Giants. The result means the Niners (6-3) are sat sixth in the conference standings - the bad news was that DL Mykel Williams quit the game after suffering a knee injury.
Williams will undergo tests today and we will know more once the results are out. Head coach Kyle Shanahan’s initial fears is that Williams could have torn his ACL...
George Kittle emerged unscathed in his third game after injury, and his first return to the MetLife Stadium since 2020.
The MetLife is one of 15 NFL stadiums with artificial turf, and Kittle was asked about his thoughts on playing on the surface before the game and whether he thought it increases the chances of players getting injured.
No joking matter, says Kittle
“This was actually the last stadium I’ve ever not played in,” Kittle answered. “So it was my first experience on the turf, really. I’ll say it’s significantly better than it was in 2020 because it’s all packed down and people have been playing on it. My only issue with it is, like, when someone’s field is like the butt of a joke throughout all of social media - constantly, on every NFL meme page, all that stuff — everybody jokes about how bad it is… I feel like at that point, somebody should take a look at it and let’s not make it... no NFL field should be the butt of a joke — ever. And I feel like all the fields should have a level of safety to it. I just don’t get why there’s not a standard for, ‘Hey, you got to pick between one or two turfs.’ There shouldn’t be 12 different turfs and 12 different grass fields and then a couple of guys have the same things.
“I just think that’s weird because most other sports — it’s not like basketball players play on different hardwood, that’s all the same; soccer players in Europe all play on really nice grass, so...” Kittle said. “It’s just weird to me. But that’s really way above my pay grade. I don’t make the money to make those decisions - but I’d love to,” he ended.
Non-contact injuries are more common on artificial turf than on grass. According to NFL data, players have a 28% higher rate of non-contact lower extremity injuries when playing on turf. Players were also 69% more likely to suffer non-contact foot and ankle injuries on turf fields than on natural grass.
Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all.
Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.