San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo has urged the NFL to push for all grass fields, with concerns being raised over increased injury on artificial turf.
English soccer is traditionally played on grass pitches, and although at lower levels sometimes artificial turf is used out of convenience, grass is a requirement in the Premier League, and all professional divisions in the country. In the NFL, that isn't the case, and concern continues to grow about the increased danger of sustaining muscle injuries when playing on fake turf.
Garoppolo feels 'blessed' that the 49ers play on natural grass, but thinks the league should push to make it a requirement for all teams. The 49ers quarterback thinks it's healthier for the players, and has used the Premier League for reference.
The 49ers take on the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, and in Garoppolo's pre-match press conference he was asked if he'd back a push from the union to try and get all grass fields. "Hell yeah. Yeah. I always just go back to, you look at Premier League Soccer in Europe, they all play on grass," Garoppolo said.
"There's a reason why they play on grass and it's just better for the players, it's healthier for the players. It keeps the good players out there, no one wants to see injuries and get a tough situation like that, but I think it'll take a big effort.
"Players, coaches, owners, it’s going to take everybody to get that moving in the right direction. I think we'll get there eventually. It's just how quickly can we get there?"
Injuries are always going to occur in the NFL, especially with the physicality of the game. But there can be some rather unexplainable injuries that occur from non-contact situations, the majority of those not on grass fields.
It certainly feels as though it's a popular opinion amongst players that grass is better, and Garoppolo even responded to claims that some stars may choose to sign for teams that don't use artificial turf. "I could see it happening. I haven't seen it personally," Garoppolo stated.
"But I could definitely see that happening. I think maybe when a free agent or something doesn't want to go to a team because they play eight games on turf at home, that might raise some red flags and put ownership on notice.
"But I don't know I think we're blessed here to practice on grass, play on grass. [CEO] Jed [York] does an awesome job of providing us with that, but I think eventually we'll get there. It's just how quickly will we do it?"
Data proves that more injuries occur on artificial turf, so there's no hiding from the truth via stats. Los Angeles Rams receiver Cooper Kupp has even spoken out in the incident after picking up an injury against the Arizona Cardinals.
"I believe that we -- and all teams -- should be playing on grass" Kupp posted on Twitter. "This is an age-old issue, and I believe the time to address the problem is now! Let's have the conversation."
