Overview
- Kelly Stafford posted an emotional Instagram message on Wednesday urging the NFL to “GET RID OF TURF” and saying the league can control what players land on.
- Player-union data from 2012–2018 shows at least a 69% higher rate of non-contact ankle and foot injuries on turf than grass, and a 2023 NFL study estimated concussions were about 22% lower on grass.
- NFL field director Nick Pappas has publicly disputed a safety gap and said injury rates are identical across surfaces, leaving researchers and league officials in disagreement.
- Critics highlighted that several stadiums laid natural grass for 2026 World Cup matches and later reverted to turf, and currently about 16 of 30 NFL stadiums use natural grass.
- Stafford’s post raises fresh pressure on owners and the league to act for player safety, but there is no league-wide plan to phase out turf and any change would affect costs, stadium operations, and standards used by colleges and youth leagues.