New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers is the latest victim of turf surfaces in the NFL after suffering a season-ending Achilles injury. But, don't expect any changes anytime soon. Commissioner Roger Goodell made an appearance on First Take Wednesday and discussed the plea from the NFLPA to get rid of turf and play only on grass.
Via Albert Breer:
“You have other players who like playing on the turf field, because it's faster. So you've got mixed opinions. What we want to go on is science, we want to go on what's the best from an injury standpoint … That's how we make decisions, not because I see an injury that I don't like. Ultimately, I want our experts to come back and give it to us.”
Can't say I've heard of one NFL player who likes playing on turf like Roger Goodell said. Following the Rodgers injury, numerous players, both on the Jets and on other teams, blasted the league for still having artificial turf surfaces at MetLife Stadium, Ford Field, Lumen Field, and many others. In fact, 17 teams play on turf across 15 stadiums. That's a lot.
Randall Cobb's outlook after Rodgers went down really hit home:
“I've never been a fan of turf. I never will be a fan of turf. It's crazy that the MLS will change stuff for Messi. Premier League will do everything they can to protect players with grass fields. But the NFL's more worried about making money. Profit over people.”
As Roger Goodell said, they will do the necessary research before making any notable changes, which means it could be quite a long time until we see only grass across the NFL. In fact, it might never happen. Let's just hope that isn't the case.
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