NFL Players Association executive director Lloyd Howell called Wednesday for all 30 NFL stadiums to utilize natural grass rather than turf after New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers suffered a season-ending Achilles tear on Monday night at MetLife Stadium.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter posted Howell’s statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, in which he noted that data shows playing on grass instead of turf can help curb “unnecessary injuries.”
During the Jets’ 22-16 overtime win over the Buffalo Bills on Monday night, Rodgers suffered a torn Achilles on New York’s fourth offensive play from scrimmage when he was sacked by Leonard Floyd.
Rodgers, whom the Jets acquired in an offseason trade with the Green Bay Packers, was ruled out for the remainder of the game and the season.
Players and their representatives have long spoken out about their preference for natural grass. NFLPA president JC Tretter wrote a letter to the NFL in April in which he stated that data from the 2022 season showed there were significantly more non-contact injuries to the lower extremities on turf than grass.
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