Ever since Aaron Rodgers blew out his Achillies tendon in week one of the NFL season, players and fans have been voicing off on the use of artificial turf.
Packer O-Lineman David Bakhtiari was the first to stir the pot by posting on X (formally known as Twitter) “How many more players have to get hurt on ARTIFICIAL TURF??! You care more about soccer players than us.”
We spoke with former Green Bay Packer Evan Smith, who is coaching the Manitowoc Lincoln Ships O-Line, and he agrees with Bakhtiari.
“For me personally, if I had the opportunity, I would play on grass every time. It’s easier on the joints,” he revealed. “I think you just overall see less guys get seriously injured [because] you don’t get as many things where your foot gets stuck in the ground. That’s kind of what happened with the Aaron Rodgers injury, and I have seen that with tons of other knee injuries too.”
While he admits that those types of injuries do happen on grass, they are less likely. Smith went on to say that switching all fields over to grass would be better for the longevity of the players, but…
“It’s all money at this point. We have to see if the NFL is willing to cough it up, but it’s definitely something they are able to do, and I think they should.”
As of this season, 18 teams use artificial turf while 14, including the Packers’ Lambeau Field, use real grass.
