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Seven NFL stadiums are installing grass fields to comply with FIFA rules this summer WCand one of the league’s biggest stars calls out the hypocrisy.
Half of the league’s stadiums use grass, despite NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell saying that 92% of the league’s players prefers grass.
However, the common speculation is that turf is cheaper to use and easier to maintain than grass, given that stadiums host many more events throughout the year.
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San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle sits on a cart after an injury during the first half of an NFL wild-card playoff game against the Philadelphia Eagles in Philadelphia on Jan. 11, 2026. (Chris Szagola/Associated Press)
Well, as the group stage reaches its final days, San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle called out the NFL for ignoring players’ requests but bowing the knee to FIFA.
“We’ve made it clear that we prefer grass fields. We know it’s better on our bodies. And obviously, we know it’s possible based on everything that went into putting down grass fields for the World Cup in every stadium,” Kittle said in a statement posted by the NFLPA on social media.
Workers install the pitch at New York New Jersey Stadium, temporarily renamed from MetLife Stadium, ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on May 7, 2026. (Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images)
WC CHANGER SAYS FIFA’S GRASS MANDATE WILL BE A ‘HUGE CONVERSATION’ REGARDING NFL’S TURF
“At this point it comes down to the NFL making it a priority and choosing to invest in us as players because our bodies are our business for them to exploit!”
Kittle is recovering from a torn Achilles he suffered on grass in Philadelphia.
Former offensive lineman Andrew Whitworth recently told Pakinomist Digital that he “absolutely would be” frustrated with the NFL if he were in Kittle’s shoes.
“I don’t think there’s any doubt about it, just because we’ve expressed so much that we’d love to have it…” Whitworth conceded, but said he understood the turf argument. “The reality is everyone wants to play on grass because you feel better.”
That was it announced late last year that each NFL team will be provided with “a library of approved and accredited NFL fields” before the 2026 season begins. Any new field must meet these standards immediately, and all teams will have two years to reach them.
Both grass and artificial turf fields will be subject to the new standards, but the NFL has no plans to require natural grass fields.
The NFL logo is seen on the field after the game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York on December 28, 2025. (Nic Antaya/Getty Images)
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The league’s chief physician, Dr. Allen Sills, said there are no “statistically significant differences” in lower extremity injuries or concussions attributable to the type of playing surface or a specific surface. That’s despite players’ widespread preference for grass pitches and complaints about surfaces like the one at MetLife Stadium, where New York Giants and the Jets play, and where the WC final will be held on July 19.
