Skip to content

Players call for league to abandon turf for natural grass

  • by

Denver Broncos kicker Brandon McManus has joined a growing group of NFL players who turned to Twitter in recent days to call for the league to abandon turf fields in favor of natural grass surfaces.

The Broncos play on grass at Empower Field at Mile High, but they will play on multiple turf fields in road games this season.

McManus pointed out on Twitter on Saturday that NFL stadiums with turf will convert to grass fields for the World Cup in 2026.

“When the 2026 FIFA World Cup comes to the US, our NFL stadiums with turf will convert to grass. Why? Because grass is a much safer playing surface,” the kicker tweeted. “But for us, their own players, they want us to compete on inferior surfaces.”

NFLPA president JC Tretter wrote an article over the weekend calling for the league to immediately replace and ban all slit film turf surfaces, and dozens of players joined McManus in tweeting about #SaferFields.

The NFL has heard the players’ complaints and their official stance has been to deny that grass is better for players than turf.

“There [is] no difference between the number of injuries on synthetic surfaces versus grass,” NFL executive vice president of communications, public affairs and policy Jeff Miller said in a statement Saturday.

The players clearly disagree, and they will likely continue campaigning for natural grass until the league takes action.

.