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The grass vs. turf debate in National Football League stadiums has again taken center stage after Aaron Rodgers' brutal Achilles injury on Monday Night Football — and San Francisco 49ers star Deebo Samuel made his stance clear last week.
“I am a firm believer of grass. In the position I play, I would prefer playing on grass any day,” Samuel told USA Today's Elizabeth Flores.
The wide receiver is one of various players who prefer grass over artificial turf. If there are any players who do prefer turf, it seems they are keeping that to themselves, especially after Rodgers' season was ended on turf in Week 1.
“Deebo Samuel said that stopping on natural grass is easier and lighter on the body compared to artificial turf, which can take a toll on the knees and back,” wrote Flores on Thursday. “He said if he had it his way, he would always play on grass instead of turf.”
President of the NFL Players Association JC Tretter wrote a column on the issue back in 2022, advocating for enhancements to the playing field, per Flores.
“It's unacceptable that football clubs neglect simple injury risks on practice and playing surfaces, making an already dangerous sport even more hazardous,” Tretter wrote in the statement.
He also explained that “the turf surface results in higher in-game injury rates than any other surface, and the players are frustrated and simply want a safer workplace,” per Flores.
“Transitioning all stadium fields to high-quality natural grass surfaces is the simplest choice the NFL can make. The players have shown a strong preference for it, and the data indicates that grass is safer than artificial turf.”
Potential solutions are out there, including in 2019 when Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas implemented a portable tray system that facilitates the growth of almost an acre of grass, allowing the Raiders to play on a natural grass field.
After what happened to Aaron Rodgers, it seems the topic will not go away until every NFL stadium grows real grass instead of turf. For that to happen, the NFL would need to spend nearly $11.9 million to turn the artificial turf in 14 of 30 stadiums to natural grass, per Flores.
![Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Arik Armstead (91) runs off the field before an NFL football matchup Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars held off the Titans 20-13. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]](https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Arik-Armstead-with-Jaguars.jpg)
