It’s one thing for folks on the labor side to talk about the increased use of grass for NFL fields. It’s another thing for management to do it.
Recently, Raiders owner Mark Davis explained his commitment to grass “for safety purposes,” which may have rankled some of his partners who would prefer to see everyone hold the rope in the grass vs. turf tug-of-war. Broncos coach Sean Payton has also chimed in with comments pointing to more grass fields.
“Our game is a little different,” Payton told Jason La Canfora of SportsBoom.com. “When you’re playing in the trenches on that surface, you know, the type of football shoes we wear are different. . . . But eventually I think you’re going to see grass in more stadiums where it’s possible.”
Currently, the Dolphins, Bills (who switched to grass for their new stadium), Browns, Steelers, Ravens, Jaguars, Broncos, Chiefs, Raiders, Eagles, Commanders, Packers, Bears, Buccaneers, Cardinals, and 49ers play on grass. The other 16 play on artificial turf.
La Canfora notes that Payton acknowledged the logistical issues for having grass fields in covered stadiums. Still, multiple enclosed structures have shown that grass is doable in a dome for the World Cup.
It all comes down to money. And, with more and more players clamoring for grass, it also comes down to collective bargaining. The league won’t want more teams to choose to change from the fake stuff to the real stuff, with the issue of switching now becoming a potential topic for the next CBA.
Preference for grass and prioritizing grass are two different issues. The owners can now dig their heels into the artificial turf and force the players to make a concession in order to get it. Which is a good way for the owners to get something for doing it.
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