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Now that the World Cup has come and gone, NFL players may be more vocal now than ever about their preference for playing on grass.
That’s largely because out of the 11 World Cup venues in the United States, seven of them were NFL stadiums that use artificial turf — but FIFA rules require a grass surface.
The NFLPA has, not so subtly, joked about rolling out the “green carpet” for football players this summer, and recently players started a social media movement saying their safety is “#WorthTheCost.”
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Saquon Barkley #26 of the Philadelphia Eagles runs the ball against the New York Giants at Lincoln Financial Field on October 26, 2025 in Philadelphia. (Getty Images)
But players, including Saquon Barkley, feel a precedent has been set.
“I think it’s going to be hard for them to argue against it because if you’re able to make it to the World Cup, it doesn’t really make sense,” Barkley told Pakinomist Digital in a recent interview.
Barkley admitted he’s “not as educated on it as I should be” and wants to dig more into grass-to-grass injury research, but he knows his own personal preference.
“I prefer grass. I think the majority of players prefer grass. And I will say this — if the numbers show that it’s better for us to play on grass versus grass, then I think that’s more than enough,” Barkley said.
Workers install the pitch at the New York New Jersey Stadium ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on May 7, 2026. (Charly Triballeau/AFP)
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“There’s no reason why, if you’re able to do it at the World Cup and if that’s what we’re asking as players, we can’t do it. I know that’s how players feel. I love playing on grass… Even when you train on grass, we hate it. We don’t like it. I need to speak more on this topic, I believe myself on this topic. There shouldn’t be any reason why we shouldn’t.”
Ironically, Barkley’s serious injuries have come on the grass, including a torn ACL in Chicago in 2020, which he admitted put him in a “sticky situation, but there’s a lot of things you just can’t control.” His 2,000-yard campaign came in his first season with the Philadelphia Eagles, who play their home games on grass.
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.
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.
Saquon Barkley of the Philadelphia Eagles takes the field prior to the NFC Wild Card playoff game against the San Francisco 49ers at Lincoln Financial Field on January 11, 2026 in Philadelphia. (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 are playing and where the World Cup final was held.
