The NFL has generated an average of $23 billion a year over the past decade, making it the most profitable sports league in the world. That total is nearly double the combined annual revenue of its closest competitors, the IPL and MLB, which sits at more than $28 billion.
With a league this valuable, the NFL works hard to protect its product. Yet many fans, players and team executives argue that owners continue to resist switching to natural grass fields, despite growing support for the change. Owners cite cost concerns and injury risks, while critics say the league’s biggest stage deserves a safer, more consistent playing surface.
Is turf really that bad?
Here are the facts: NFL players have a 28% higher rate of noncontact lower-extremity injuries when playing on artificial turf. Of those injuries, players have a 32% higher rate of noncontact knee injuries on turf and a 69% higher rate of noncontact foot and ankle injuries compared with grass.
In 2025, a UCSF study found statistically higher rates of ACL injuries requiring surgery on turf than on grass. The study also concluded that Achilles tendon injuries requiring surgery were more likely to occur on turf.
The NFL tests field conditions each year using the Clegg test, a method that measures the hardness and compaction of soil and synthetic surfaces. The NFLPA argues the test is limited in its ability to determine the overall performance or safety of a field.
How did turf develop its reputation for being unsafe?
The NFL has used artificial turf on its fields since the early 1970s, beginning with the Houston Oilers in 1969. Today, 15 stadiums — home to 17 teams — play on turf. Several of those venues have become known for player complaints, and MetLife Stadium is often cited as the league’s most problematic surface. In the last five years, more than 15 players have suffered season-ending injuries there.
Former Pro Bowl lineman David Bakhtiari spoke out on X about field standards after his former quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, suffered a season-ending Achilles injury just a few snaps into the first game of the year. “Congrats @nfl. How many more players have to get hurt on ARTIFICIAL TURF??! You care more about soccer players than us. You plan to remove all artificial turf for the World Cup coming up. So clearly it’s feasible. I’m sick of this..Do better”.
While Rodgers defended MetLife Stadium and its conditions, he also said grass fields would reduce non-contact injuries. MetLife installed a new FieldTurf CORE system in March 2023, but it has not shown improvement in preventing injuries.
The Chargers’ and Rams’ home, SoFi Stadium, is also a known hot spot for turf-related injuries. One of the most notable incidents happened during Super Bowl LVI, when Rams wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. went down with a noncontact injury to his left knee, later confirmed as a torn ACL. The injury came after Beckham opened the game with a strong first quarter, recording two catches for 52 yards and a touchdown.
Since that injury, Beckham has appeared in only 25 games and missed the entire following season. He also suffered a previous ACL tear in the same leg just 14 months earlier in Cincinnati — another turf field.
The most recent notable injury on a turf field this year happened at Paycor Stadium. Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was stepped on by Jaguars defensive tackle Arik Armstead in a Week 2 matchup, causing a Grade 3 turf toe — a complete tear of the ligaments at the base of the big toe — that sidelined him for the near future. Some experts believe the hard surface of turf made the injury more severe than it would have been on grass.
Dr. Clifford Rios, an orthopedic surgeon with the Bone & Joint Institute and board-certified in sports medicine, said turf can worsen low-impact injuries. “Artificial turf is still the most likely cause of the injury because, despite advances in fake-turf technology, athletes’ cleats or shoes still get stuck in the surface,” he said.
If everyone hates turf, why won’t the NFL make the change?
It comes down to one reason: cost. Although installing artificial turf is initially more expensive than planting and maintaining natural grass, its long-term expenses are significantly lower. Turf installation typically ranges from $640,000 to $2 million, while a grass field costs between $400,000 and $820,000. But grass fields can require up to $1 million a year in maintenance, compared with about $10,000 annually for turf. Turf also allows teams to host offseason events more cost-effectively.
Despite the savings, turf-related injuries carry a much larger financial impact. The NFL lost more than $530 million during the 2024–25 season because of players being sidelined, with an estimated $213 million in salary lost to lower-body injuries alone. That leaves the league and its players with one question: Is turf really worth it?
When is enough, enough?
The NFLPA says it is not. A survey showed that 92% of players prefer to play on high-quality grass, while 6% were indifferent, and most of the remaining 2% who prefer synthetic turf are kickers. The NFLPA president, JC Tretter, spoke out on the matter.
In a high-impact sport like football, a poorly conditioned field can destroy a player’s career. The reality of turf is that it is essentially a 3-inch carpet laid over hard cement, conditions far from ideal for the modern gladiator sport that is NFL football.
From players to fans, many are calling on owners who choose cost savings over player safety to do better.
