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The original was posted on /r/nfl by /u/GodILoveBeinATurtle on 2023-09-14 17:36:20.
That conclusion is backed up by recent academic research. One study of NFL players, published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine, found that play on synthetic turf produced a 16% increase in lower extremity injuries per play than on a natural surface. The paper—in part sponsored by the NFL, with authors that include data scientists and doctors who work for the league or teams—said the higher rate of injury was even stronger when restricted to noncontact injuries.
That echoes research done on college football. A study of thousands of knee injuries from 2004 to 2014 found an increased risk on artificial surfaces. It further found that lower divisions of college football had an even higher risk, suggesting that factors such as differences in athletic ability, equipment or the maintenance of playing surfaces may play a role.
Jeff Miller, the NFL’s executive vice president of health and safety, says the league’s research shows that perhaps the two most serious leg injuries a player can suffer—ACL and Achilles tears—are essentially the same between the two surfaces. That would mean any difference in injuries between the surfaces may be explained by more minor injuries, such as ankle sprains when a player’s cleat gets caught in turf.
Players believe there’s a simple reason why so many teams haven’t made the switch to grass: money.
Grass fields are subject to the whims of the weather along with standard wear and tear. They routinely have to be replaced, and it isn’t especially cheap. When the Denver Broncos replaced their sod before their final home game of last season, it cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
“I’ve never been a fan of turf. I never will be a fan of turf,” said New York Jets wide receiver Randall Cobb, a close friend of Rodgers. “The NFL is more worried about making money. Profit over people—that’s always been the case.”