Natural grass would not have prevented Aaron Rodgers’ injury

It’s always interesting to see how leagues and players’ unions respond to injuries. Zaza Pachulia kicked Kawhi Leonard, and now NBA defenders can no longer impede a shooter’s landing zone. Buster Posey was hit by Scott Cousins, causing the MLB to ban games at the plate. On Monday, Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles on the notoriously unsafe MetLife Turf, which is why the NFLPA wants all turf fields.

“Moving all stadium fields to high-quality natural grass surfaces is the easiest decision the NFL can make.” said NFLPA Executive Director Lloyd Howell. “The vast majority of players prefer it and the data clearly shows that grass is simply safer than artificial turf. It’s a topic that was at the top of players’ lists when I visited teams and that I also addressed with the NFL.”

Jets coach Robert Saleh said he thought the QB’s injury was “violent” and didn’t place blame on the playing field, but acknowledged that the players prefer turf and “a lot is invested in these young men.”

While it’s a nice feeling and a good cause – some soccer players, including Lionel Messi, flatly refuse to play on artificial turf – the problem with switching to “high quality natural grass” is the cost and maintenance. The Chicago Bears play on turf, but it is not of the highest quality as maintenance due to public events does not match the foot traffic at Soldier Field.

In certain cases, the field requires a completely new turf, which is expensive and also needs to be installed properly. And even then, things can go wrong. The turf at the last Super Bowl, played at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, was heavily criticized and loudly criticized by both teams a former NFL groundskeeperit had a “rotten smell” and began to deteriorate before the game.

Of course, there are a lot of logistics involved in a Super Bowl – especially the preparation and rehearsals for the halftime show – but this is the biggest sports exhibition in America, and it was still botched.

I have little confidence that these owners, some of whom are very cheap, will devote the necessary resources to the maintenance required to maintain a safe and pristine field. The Cincinnati Bengals are finally getting their own indoor practice facility after having to use the University of Cincinnati facility as temperatures dropped, and do you think Mike Brown will renovate Paycor Field?

In March, Bengals executive vice president Katie Blackburn defended the team’s turf despite everything Research shows a higher risk of lower extremity injuries on this surface, and the NFLPA is trying to ban it altogether.

“I don’t have any statistics, but I really don’t think our grass is a big problem. Or any problem at all, to be completely honest.” Blackburn told the Cincinnati Enquirer at the time.

There are also several franchises set in domes, making it impossible to have lawns without an overhaul and/or a complicated system. So this request from the NFLPA is much larger than it seems.

The assumption that the MetLife turf ruptured Rodgers’ tendon is not entirely correct. He’s 39 years old, football is a violent sport, and statistically something like this was inevitable. At the same time, the guy has spent the last 17 years scrambling around the hollowed-out frozen tundra of Lambeau Field, perhaps the most studied and maintained surface in the NFL, and after four downs on recycled trash, his season is over.

I’m sure Aaron Rodgers is ready to become a martyr, although I’m not sure that’s what he had in mind. Regardless, if anything positive comes out of this unfortunate injury, it should be a pivot good qualityNatural grass fields.