NFL Players Association (NFLPA) president JC Tretter is calling for the NFL to immediately ban slit film turf fields, which would help reduce unnecessary, non-contact injuries.
Tretter, 31, released a statement Saturday asking the NFL to improve playing surfaces, but the league has refused.
“The NFL and its experts have agreed with this data and acknowledge that the slit film field is less safe,” Tretter wrote. “Player leadership wrote a letter to the NFL this week demanding the immediate removal of these fields and a ban on them going forwardboth in stadiums and for practice fields.
“The NFL has not only refused to mandate this change immediately, but they have also refused to commit to mandating a change away from slit film in the future at all.”
NFL players are also taking a stand on Twitter, with Dallas Cowboys tight end Dalton Schultz saying they won’t stop talking about the subject until there’s change.
NFL Twitter won’t stand down
In his statement, Tretter also asked the league to raise field standards, to test the safety/performance of all playing surfaces, and to clear excess people/dangerous equipment from the sidelines.
Tretter summed up the petition by saying the NFL should not allow games to be played on fields with clear visual abnormalities.
“We play one of the most dangerous sports in the world; it shouldn’t be more dangerous because the clubs won’t do anything to remove the simple injury risks on practice and playing surfaces,” Tretter wrote. “If the league wants to actually use data to drive its decisions, then do it already. We’ve been waiting for years for some of these changes.”
Green Bay Packers tackle David Bakhtiariwide receiver Randall Cobband kicker Mason Crosby took to Twitter to state that stadiums change to natural grass when European soccer clubs play in the US, but that owners won’t do that for them, their players.
Baltimore Ravens defensive tackle Calais Campbell accurately stated that the NFL could change all seven of its slit film turf fields (Giants, Jets, Lions, Vikings, Saints, Colts, Bengals) to natural grass in just a few days.
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