NFL
NFL stars Patrick Mahomes and Deebo Samuel prefer real grass surface to artificial turf
A number of players have come out to complain about the artificial turf which is still used in many NFL stadiums.
We’re only in week 2 of the NFL season, yet the debate about the playing surfaces in NFL continues to rage on ever since Aaron Rodgers got a season-ending injury just over a week ago. As time goes on, more and more loud voices in NFL are making their opinions known on the matter, and it seems that the crème de la crème of the sport are having their say.
In an interview with USA Today, Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs Quarterback, made his position clear on the matter, saying that natural grass surfaces pose less of a risk for players.
“I mean, I think it’s pretty simple”, he said, “the numbers say that grass is healthier for the players and I want to play on the best surface that will keep me healthy”.
How many NFL teams use natural grass surfaces?
A staggering 14 NFL teams out of 32 do not use real grass, meaning that just over half have the surface that the players want in order to avoid serious injury.
Deebo Samuel, San Francisco 49ers Wide Receiver, also made public his opinion, saying that he always prefers to play on natural grass over artificial surfaces. “I’m a firm believer in grass”, he said, “in the position I play, with the movements I make, I would prefer to play on grass any day”.
Two days after the injury to Rodgers, the executive director of the NFL Players’ Association, Lloyd Howell, published an official statement asking for all stadiums to use real grass surfaces in order to avoid future injuries like the one Rodgers suffered. You can read the statement below: