The Dallas Cowboys are one of the richest sports franchises in the world — and yet on one particular issue that would factually benefit the health of his own players, while setting a precedent around the NFL — Jerry Jones refuses to switch to a permanent grass surface at AT&T Field.
When New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers went down with season-ending injury on “Monday Night Football” in Week 1, the argument against artificial turf began to gain steam once again, with players campaigning for the relative safety of playing on natural grass.
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Sep 11, 2023; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) is injured after a sack by Buffalo Bills defensive end Leonard Floyd (not pictured) during the first quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
MeLife Stadium — the home to the Giants and Jets where Rodgers tore his Achilles, is one of nearly half of the NFL stadiums that opt for an artificial surface vs. real grass.
While there are various reasons, the most logical comes down to money. The artificial turf is easily rolled out so these major NFL Stadiums can host concerts and other events which is more difficult with regular grass fields, but can be done.
Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott suggested that his season-ending fractured ankle in Week 5 of the 2020 season might’ve been a byproduct of playing on the AT&T Stadium turf, said he is a “100-percent grass guy” while pushing for the idea of the standardization of natural grass across the league in an article published by Sports Illustrated.
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“Yeah, I’m 100-percent a grass guy,” Dak said. “My injury plays a huge part in that. … I know how physical the game is, how guys are getting tackled. It’s a whole lot safer, in my opinion, on grass than it is turf.””
A 2023 study from NBC News found that seven of the 10 stadiums that average the most injuries use synthetic turf instead of traditional grass.
Prescott made sure to reiterate how simple of a fix this could be with his team’s owner listed as one of the richest men in the world and the NFL rakes in billions of dollars with all of the revenue pouring into the Dallas Cowboys organization.
“This is a billion-dollar business and you want the best product on the field every time. So take the weather, take all that stuff out of it and let’s see who is better.”
The Cowboys practice facility at The Star features two full-sized fields. One features artificial turf, the other grass. Dallas coach Mike McCarthy alluded to that fact when he was asked for his opinion on the debate.
“We practice on the grass every single day,” McCarthy said, with plenty of clarity.
Dallas Cowboys Spark Outrage Amongst NFL Players With Decision To Switch To Grass For Upcoming Soccer Match
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Cowboys Wr CeeeDee Lamb not only stated his support for grass fields, and even hinted his owner Jerry Jones should be the one to initiate a change.
“That’s it. Grass,” Lamb said, “(but) I can’t tell Jerry nothing. We need grass, it’s that simple. … That grass feels better on us.
