After a likely season-ending Achilles tear for Aaron Rogers and dramatic injuries to Trevon Diggs, Nick Chubb and Mike Williams, a debate that pits players against the league has been reignited as the former argues for natural surfaces that are "simply safer than artificial turf," and NFL officials say switching from fake grass to real isn’t as easy as it sounds.
Mike Williams, No. 81, of the Los Angeles Chargers is carted off the field during the fourth quarter ... [+] against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium on September 24, 2023. Artificial Turf Grass
September 24, 2023 Los Angeles Chargers receiver Mike Williams, who will make $20 million this year, won't play again this season after tearing his ACL in an attempt at a juke move that ended with a tackle from behind in a Sunday game against the Minnesota Vikings.
September 21, 2023 Trevon Diggs ($22.3 million), star cornerback for the Dallas Cowboys, suffered a left ACL tear during one-on-one red zone practice drills that will end his season.
September 18, 2023 Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb ($9.3 million) suffered a season ending MCL tear and hurt his ACL in a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers—the injury was so gruesome ESPN declined to show the replay and he’ll likely need two different surgeries to repair the damage.
September 11, 2023 Aaron Rodgers ($50.2 million) threw just four snaps in his debut as quarterback for the New York Jets before rupturing his Achilles in the team's season opener against the Buffalo Bills; he underwent an innovative surgery two days later to place an internal brace called an Achilles "speed bridge" in the back of his left leg that the NFL says could help him hit his goal of a playoff return.
September 10, 2023 Baltimore Ravens running back J.K. Dobbins ($1.8 million) won’t return this season after tearing his Achilles in the team's opener against the Houston Texans as he was tackled on the way to the end zone after a reception.
September 10, 2023 Two-time All-Pro player Jack Conklin ($13.6 million) right tackle for the Cleveland Browns, tore his ACL in the first week of regular season play and won't return this season after Trey Hendrickson of the Bengals “awkwardly" rolled under Conlink's leg in the second quarter, per the NFL.
September 10, 2023 It's unlikely Broncos safety Caden Sterns ($843,000) will return after suffering a torn patellar tendon in the first week of season play against the Las Vegas Raiders, NBC Sports reported—Sterns went down on his second defensive snap with the injury after missing the last 12 games of the 2022-23 season with a hip injury.
September 10, 2023 Running back Evan Hull ($711,000) had one carry and one reception in his NFL debut for the Indianapolis Colts before he suffered a knee injury, tearing his meniscus in Week 1 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, USA Today reported.
Nick Chubb of the Cleveland Browns reacts after hurting his knee during the second quarter of the ... [+] game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Of this year's eight major leg injuries so far, half have occurred on a turf field. Diggs' ACL tear happened on the Cowboys' grass practice field and Dobbins was hurt at M&T Bank Stadium, which uses Bermuda grass. Conklin was hurt on the Kentucky bluegrass field at FirstEnergy Stadium and Sterns was injured on Allegiant Stadium grass in Las Vegas.
The argument over whether fields should be made of natural or artificial materials is not a new one, but the spate of recent injuries has brought it back to the public consciousness. There are 15 stadiums (serving 17 teams) in the NFL that use artificial grass for their fields and 15 that use turf. The NFL Players Association has argued for a full switch to natural grass surfaces over artificial turf fields for years, and Rodgers advocated for the move to be league-wide last fall before he tore his Achilles. Artificial surfaces are softer and allow for "more wobble" when feet hit the ground, he said, leading to more extreme non-contact injuries. The union renewed its call for the change again after Rodgers' injury and called it "the easiest decision the NFL can make.” NBC News on Sunday reported that of the 10 stadiums with the highest injury counts between 2017 and 2022, seven of them had artificial surfaces. Sports Info Solutions, a sports analytics company, told NBC that players were also more likely to suffer injuries that forced them to leave a game when on synthetic turf.
Aaron Rodgers of the New York Jets sits down after tearing his Achilles after a sack by Leonard ... [+] Floyd of the Buffalo Bills.
The NFL has argued that artificial turf fields exist for a reason and that the dangers are equal. Jeff Miller, NFL executive vice president, has said the league is focused on cutting down on the number of injuries regardless of playing surface, and the type of field is left mostly up to NFL owners with control of their home stadiums. Grass fields are more expensive to maintain that turf on the whole, and they must be well kept and of high-quality grass, which can struggle in colder parts of the country in the winter months, CBS reported. The Tennessee Titans have said they switched to turf simply because the natural grass was impossible to keep up.
$118 million. That’s how much the players out for the season due to Achilies tears or leg injuries will make this year combined.
The nature of American football as a full-contact game has led to criticism and scrutiny, especially when it comes to damaging hits. The most common injuries in football are strains and sprains, which happen in both contact and non-contact settings, along with dislocations, fractures and concussions. The NFL reports 213 players got concussions in regular or pre-season games last year, up from 187 in 2021 and 172 in 2020. There were no pre-season games in 2020. The league has been heavily scrutinized as an increasing number of players are diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) from major hits, which leads to debilitating symptoms including mental health changes and death. Damar Hamlin, a Buffalo Bills safety, went into cardiac arrest following a tackle last year. He has since recovered and is cleared to play again.
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