NFL Turf Fields Under Scrutiny as Injuries Mount

Miami Dolphins' Bradley Chubb's ACL Tear Reignites Debate Over Player Safety

Star linebacker Bradley Chubb of the Miami Dolphins suffered a major ACL tear during a game against the Baltimore Ravens, reigniting debate over the safety of artificial turf fields.
Chubb's injury adds to a growing list of players who have suffered serious lower-body injuries this season, leading to calls for changes to what some players describe as unnecessarily dangerous fields.
Of the 24 major leg injuries this year, 13 have occurred on a turf or partially turf field, with injuries most commonly happening on M&T Bank Stadium's grass field, U.S. Bank Stadium's turf, and at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, which uses turf for NFL games.
The NFL Players Association has been advocating for a switch to natural grass surfaces over artificial turf fields for years, arguing that artificial surfaces are softer and allow for more extreme non-contact injuries.
The total earnings of players out for the season due to ACL or Achilles tears and other leg injuries is $328.9 million.