There has been a significant number of injuries this year and in years past on turf fields specifically. There was a small discussion about it in years past, but after an injury to Giants superstar Malik Nabers, it became a real problem.
NFL teams put down turf instead of grass because it’s cheaper to keep up than grass. Not having to water or replace it makes it extremely cost-efficient. It lets them invest money in other places, like the stadium. While it does have these benefits, it’s well known that turf is terrible for your joints.
Under the artificial turf is a layer of concrete, leading to way less energy absorption. Grass is much softer, and it returns much less energy to your leg. The energy returned to your leg puts much more pressure on your ligaments and muscles to absorb all the impact.
Another major injury contributing to this argument was Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow, who suffered turf toe. Turf toe is caused by stretching your toe beyond its range of motion, most commonly on turf. Grass is softer and puts less stress on your toe, so when it goes into the ground, the ground will give instead of bending your toe.
Injury levels have always been higher on turf than on grass. In MetLife Stadium alone, Malik Nabers, Kyle Fuller, Wan’Dale Robinson, Sterling Shepard, Nick Bosa, and Solomon Thomas all tore their ACLs. There have also been a few Achilles tears and ankle injuries.
In light of all these injuries, people have begun debating whether they should be banned. Not only do players get injured a lot, but they also complain about the turf more. Many players report increased soreness in muscles and joints after playing on turf.
Another effect of the players not liking the turf and getting injured more often, the NFL and the teams are losing money when their good players don’t play. People watch the games to watch the best players; therefore, if those players are injured, no one will watch.
The teams need to keep their best players healthy for the regular season and also the postseason. It is in the interest of the NFL and the individual teams. Both organizations are losing money each time someone gets hurt, between merchandise and ticket sales.
