Despite being one of the wealthiest sports teams in the world, Jerry Jones of the Dallas Cowboys is unwilling to convert AT&T Field to a permanent grass field, a decision that would both positively impact his players’ health and establish a precedent for the NFL.
Players argued for the relative safety of playing on natural grass, and the debate against artificial turf gained momentum after New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers suffered a season-ending injury during “Monday Night Football” in Week1
.MeLife Stadium — the home to the Giants and Jets where Rodgers tore his Achilles, is one of nearly half of the NFL stadiums that opt for an artificial surface vs. real grass.
While there are various reasons, the most logical comes down to money. The artificial turf is easily rolled out so these major NFL Stadiums can host concerts and other events which is more difficult with regular grass fields, but can be done.
Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott suggested that his season-ending fractured ankle in Week 5 of the 2020 season might’ve been a byproduct of playing on the AT&T Stadium turf, said he is a “100-percent grass guy” while pushing for the idea of the standardization of natural grass across the league in an article published by Sports Illustrated.
Yeah, I’m 100-percent a grass guy,” Dak said. “My injury plays a huge part in that. … I know how physical the game is, how guys are getting tackled. It’s a whole lot safer, in my opinion, on grass than it is turf.””
A 2023 study from NBC News found that seven of the 10 stadiums that average the most injuries use synthetic turf instead of traditional grass.
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