Even though the statistics are very new to the impacts of artificial turf, most players believe turf is the leading cause of lower body injuries.
Injuries have occurred more frequently in professional sports due to changes in the type of material players practice and play on.
Over the past three weeks of the NFL season, turf fields have been the most prominent topic of discussion. Almost half of the NFL stadiums have artificial turf fields.
With 15 more weeks of the regular season, we can expect an all-time high in injuries due to artificial turf.
A study by the University Hospitals Sports Medicine states, “ We found that athletes are 58 percent more likely to sustain an injury during athletic activity on turf.”
Star players like Aaron Rodgers, Mike Williams, and Trevon Diggs have all suffered ACL injuries from slippage on this new artificial turf. Although most players oppose artificial turf, some owners still believe that turf is the best option.
“Our league stats don’t see issues with the type of surface that we have as opposed to natural grass,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, via Jon Machota Cowboys staff writer.
Most NFL fans believe these owners are trying to be cost-effective and will not spend any extra money on improving the chances on having a healthy team throughout the whole season. This material renovation would only cost each team an extra $1.25 million out of a $5 billion budget for each team.
Owners and NFL executives are withholding the opportunity for these young athletes to have a long and healthy career.
Players and fans are also in an uproar due to the World Cup in 2024 being played in these NFL stadiums, but the fields are being changed from turf to grass just for this event.
This decision by the NFL will bring more fuel to the fire as the weeks come closer to the end of the season.
