Former NFL star says he 'would definitely be' frustrated with NFL letting FIFA bring grass to turf fields

NFL players person asked for years to marque writer fields mandatory astatine their stadiums -- this summer, they are, but for different reason.

Seven NFL stadiums that usage artificial turf person transformed their playing surfaces to writer for FIFA regulations during the World Cup.

Half the league’s stadiums usage turf, contempt NFLPA Executive Director Lloyd Howell saying that 92% of the league’s players prefer grass.

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Andrew Whitworth #77 of the Los Angeles Rams celebrates pursuing Super Bowl LVI astatine SoFi Stadium connected February 13, 2022 successful Inglewood, California. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Understandably so, Super Bowl champion violative lineman Andrew Whitworth said helium "would decidedly be" annoyed with the league if helium were inactive playing.

"I don't deliberation there's immoderate uncertainty astir it, lone due to the fact that we've voiced truthful overmuch that we'd emotion to person it," Whitworth admitted.

"I get it. Here's the world -- erstwhile you look astatine these stadiums, they're amusement venues. They're not conscionable for football. From the Taylor Swift circuit to you sanction it, everything happens there. So erstwhile you say, each right, from an owning-a-building standpoint, from this being capable to run arsenic a venue similar that, I get it. To beryllium capable to person concerts, to beryllium capable to person each the events they privation to person there, you request a harder surface. So you recognize that portion of it."

But 1 of the reasons that Whitworth was "jacked up" to beryllium a Ram was that his part opponents played connected writer successful their location stadiums. Even erstwhile helium archetypal signed, the Rams were connected writer astatine the Los Angeles Coliseum.

The NFL logo is displayed connected the tract aft the crippled betwixt the Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo Bills astatine Highmark Stadium successful Orchard Park, New York, connected Dec. 28, 2025. (Nic Antaya/Getty Images)

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At this point, plentifulness of studies astir injuries and playing surfaces are conflicting, but Whitworth said it goes acold beyond existent injuries.

"We could nitpick each aboveground successful the satellite of wounded rates, right? But I'll archer you this -- inquire the radical who really basal connected the writer and the turf, what would you alternatively play on? There's nary different discussion," helium said. "The world is everyone wants to play connected writer due to the fact that you consciousness better.

"At my age, older property oregon younger, you consciousness it successful your assemblage and successful your bones. Forget injuries. You consciousness it for days aft that game. Days and days. You tin conscionable consciousness the difference. I ever archer this to people. Go retired and instrumentality a agelong locomotion connected factual successful your neighborhood, past spell instrumentality that aforesaid locomotion connected a rubber aboveground astatine a way and spot however overmuch antithetic you consciousness successful your body. That's the reality. You play writer games, dude, I would bounce backmost successful a second. Even astatine 40, I'd play a writer crippled and beryllium like, 'Dude, I'm acceptable to spell assistance tomorrow. I consciousness great.'

"But a turf crippled astir zaps you of each your vigor and your bones and each that. So I deliberation whenever we get into it, it's not conscionable astir data. It's astir erstwhile these players are saying it's that other feeling of different three, 4 days of, man, I conscionable consciousness terrible. I consciousness awful."

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Workers instal the transportation astatine MetLife Stadium successful East Rutherford, N.J., up of the 2026 FIFA World Cup connected May 7, 2026. (Charly Triballeu/AFP)

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It was announced precocious past year that each NFL squad volition beryllium provided with "a room of approved and accredited NFL fields" earlier the 2026 play begins. Any caller tract volition instantly person to conscionable those standards, and each teams volition person 2 years to execute them. Both writer and synthetic turf fields volition beryllium taxable to the caller standards.

The NFL has nary plans to necessitate earthy writer fields.

The league’s main aesculapian officer, Dr. Allen Sills, said determination are nary "statistically important differences" successful lower-extremity injuries oregon concussions that tin beryllium attributed to the benignant of playing aboveground oregon a circumstantial surface, contempt wide preferences by players for writer fields and complaints astir surfaces specified arsenic the 1 astatine MetLife Stadium, wherever the New York Giants and Jets play and wherever the World Cup last volition beryllium held connected July 19.

Fox News' Chantz Martin contributed to this report.

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