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NFL players have long called for grass fields over turf, and those calls have become heightened this offseasonduring the World Cup.
As part of the requirements for the U.S. and several of its stadiums to host the World Cup, multiple NFL owners had to change their fields from turf to grass for the soccer players—something they won’t do for their own players.
The NFL speaks on the importance of player health and safety, but when it comes to the league’s playing surfaces, their actions don’t match their words. Priordata from 2012 to 2018 has backed the idea that players suffer a higher rate of injuries on turf fields than grass fields. More recent data hasn’t showed a significant difference in injury rates between the two surfaces, per the NFL’s chief medical officer Dr. Allen Sills, but players also say they feel better after playing on grass. There are reasons FIFA has refused to let its stars play on artificial turf in the first place.
Related: The World Cup Has Exposed the NFL’s Turf Problem. Now It’s Time for Owners to Do Right By Their Players.
Many NFL teams have avoided making the switch from turf to grass because of the costs associated with maintaining grass fields and because it’s easier to host concerts and other events on turf than grass.
That hasn’t stopped the cries for grass fields from growing louder, particularly this offseason, which has seen players such as George Kittle, Kirk Cousins, and the NFL player’s association speak out on the matter.
Will their calls turn into action?
What four teams have recently said about the grass vs. turf debate
Raiders owner Mark Davis, whose players play on grass, has been the most prominent figure to speak in support of grass fields. “I just always felt that football should be played on grass,” Davis recently told The Los Angeles Times. “That’s for safety purposes, No. 1. I want it to look like a game was played even if it’s an indoor field. You see grass stains and everything else. I wasn’t going to a stadium without it being grass once I knew that capability was there. Obviously, it added a lot of cost, but it’s worth it.”
Don’t count on the Cowboys to adopt the same approach as Davis. Back in the spring, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones notably confirmed that they would not keep the grass fields at AT&T Stadium after the World Cup. “We have more flexibility with the way we handle our surface at the stadium. We have no belief that it’s any safer to play on grass,” Jones said. “The turf, actually like many things, improves the economics of being able to play this game and our players are the biggest benefactor of all. They get the best benefit of when we do good things financially, the players benefit.”
Broncos coach Sean Payton, a member of the NFL’s competition committee, believes grass fields will become more widely adopted. He told SportsBoom’s Jason La Canfora, “Our game is a little different. When you’re playing in the trenches on that surface, you know, the type of football shoes we wear are different. … But eventually I think you’re going to see where it’s possible. and I think that, man, it was super impressive there. Seattle, the host city for that game, did a terrific job.”
Giants coach John Harbaugh, whose new team plays on turf at one of the league’s most notorious stadiums for injuries, said in June of MetLife Stadium switching to grass for the World Cup, “Oh, you’re going to try to draw me in to the turf versus grass. And Roger [Goodell] is gonna call me up and he’s gonna get mad at me because I’m probably not gonna say what he wants me to say, so. That’s all I’m gonna say. That’s all I’m gonna say. It’s a good surface out there. It’s a good artificial surface, I’ll say that.”
Which NFL stadiums use turf instead of grass?
There are 14 stadiums that still use turf. They are:
- AT&T Stadium (Cowboys)
- Bank of America Stadium (Panthers)
- Caesars Superdome (Saints)
- Ford Field (Lions)
- Gillette Stadium (Patriots)
- Lucas Oil Stadium (Colts)
- Lumen Field (Seahawks)
- Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Falcons)
- MetLife Stadium (Giants & Jets)
- Nissan Stadium (Titans)
- NRG Stadium (Texans)
- Paycor Stadium (Bengals)
- SoFi Stadium (Chargers & Rams)
- U.S. Bank Stadium (Vikings)
Of theses stadiums, all seven that hosted World Cup games—AT&T Stadium, Gillette Stadium, Lumen Field, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, MetLife Stadium, NRG Stadium and SoFi Stadium—switched their fields from turf to grass.
Related: The 10 Oldest Stadiums in the NFL
Meanwhile, there are 15 stadiums that already boast grass surfaces. This includes the Bills, who are the most recent team to switch from turf to grass with the opening of their new stadium this year.
Here’s a look at all the stadiums that use grass fields.
- Acrisure Stadium (Steelers)
- Allegiant Stadium (Raiders)
- Arrowhead Stadium (Chiefs)
- Mile High Stadium (Broncos)
- EverBank Stadium (Jaguars)
- Hard Rock Stadium (Dolphins)
- Highmark Stadium (Bills)
- Huntington Bank Field (Browns)
- Lambeau Field (Packers)
- Levi’s Stadium (49ers)
- Lincoln Financial Field (Eagles)
- M&T Bank Stadium (Ravens)
- Northwest Stadium (Commanders)
- Raymond James Stadium (Buccaneers)
- Soldier Field (Bears)
- State Farm Stadium (Cardinals)
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EVA GEITHEIM
Eva Geitheim is an NFL writer at Sports Illustrated. Prior to joining SI in December 2024, she wrote for Newsweek, Gymnastics Now and Dodgers Nation. A Bay Area native, she has a bachelor’s in communications from UCLA. When not writing, she can be found baking or rewatching Gilmore Girls.
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