Aaron Rodgers’ injury had everyone debating about grass or artificial turf back at the beginning of the season. The players want to play on natural grass because it’s safer, but as of the 2023 season, there are 14 NFL teams out of 32 that do not use real grass. There are two teams that use Desso GrassMaster, which is a combination of artificial turf and natural grass. Remember that the Giants and Jets share the MetLife Stadium and the Rams and Chargers share the SoFi Stadium.
In comparison to the 90′s, today’s artificial turf is much safer than back then, but is still a long shot from natural grass, especially for NFL players’ preference. In 2020, following numerous players suffering injuries off artificial turf, NFL Players Association president JC Tretter advocated against the use of artificial turf. In a survey conducted by NFLPA regarding the use of turf vs. natural grass, nearly 93 percent of players listed artificial turf as an impediment to their careers, while 91 percent stated it made them feel more fatigued and sore. That demand was made again after Aaron Rodgers’ torn Achilles injury on Sep. 10, 2023
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 13, 2023"Our game is founded on grass."
See AlsoWhat Is the Blue Line in Hockey? And the Purpose Behind it | Coaching KidzHow Much Does A Hockey Astro Cost In South Africa? – Greater Good SAWhat is the Difference Between blue and Green turf in Hockey? -Does Artificial Grass Get Too Hot? 🔥 What You Need To KnowVon Miller and Stefon Diggs discuss artificial turf vs. grass in NFL stadiums pic.twitter.com/oGWjK9ds5L
Which NFL stadiums use natural grass?
The Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers are two franchises that have stadiums in cold-weather climates, but also cultivate natural grass fields in both Lambeau and Heinz Field. Arizona and Las Vegas also avoid artificial turf, even with their indoor stadiums, and use Bermuda grass.
Arizona’s State Farm Stadium specifically has a retractable natural grass that can be removed whenever there are other events in the stadium, like soccer games or even concerts.
Other stadiums that use the same type of Bermuda grass are the Chiefs’ Arrowhead Stadium, and Dolphins’ Hard Rock Stadium. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tennessee Titans and Washington Commanders have also cultivated the same grass surface in all three stadiums, Raymond James Stadium, Nissan Stadium and FedExField.
Last but not least, there are a few other stadiums inhabiting perennial, cool-season lawn grass called Kentucky bluegrass: Bears’ Soldier Field, Browns’ FirstEnergy Stadium, and Broncos’ Empower Field.
— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) September 13, 2023The Aaron Rodgers injury has reignited the NFL debate about natural grass vs. artificial turf fields.
But the data is clear— natural grass is safer.
Here's a breakdown of the data and an explanation of why NFL owners are still hesitant to make the change.
The irony here is… pic.twitter.com/7v9hjkTCkT
NFL stadiums with natural grass:
NFL stadiums with real grass
- Arizona Cardinals, State Farm Stadium, Bermuda grass
- Baltimore Ravens, M&T Bank Stadium, Bermuda grass
- Chicago Bears, Soldier Field, Kentucky bluegrass
- Cleveland Browns, FirstEnergy Stadium, Kentucky bluegrass
- Denver Broncos, Empower Field at Mile High, Kentucky bluegrass
- Jacksonville Jaguars, TIAA Bank Field, Bermuda grass
- Kansas City Chiefs, Arrowhead Stadium, Bermuda grass
- Las Vegas Raiders, Allegiant Stadium, Bermuda grass
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Raymond James Stadium, Bermuda grass
- Tennessee Titans, Nissan Stadium, Bermuda grass
- Washington Football Team, FedExField, Bermuda grass
- Pittsburgh Steelers, Heinz Field, Kentucky bluegrass
- San Francisco 49ers, Levi’s Stadium, Bermuda grass, Perennial Ryegrass mixture
- Miami Dolphins, Hard Rock Stadium, Tifway 419 Bermuda grass
NFL stadiums with artificial turf
Stadiums with astro turf
- Seattle Seahawks, Lumen Field, FieldTurf Revolution 360
- Atlanta Falcons, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, FieldTurf Revolution
- Buffalo Bills, Highmark Stadium, A-Turf Titan 50
- Carolina Panthers, Bank of America Stadium, FieldTurf
- Cincinnati Bengals, Paul Brown Stadium, UBU Speed Series S5-M Synthetic Turf
- Dallas Cowboys, AT&T Stadium, Hellas Matrix Turf
- Detroit Lions, Ford Field, FieldTurf Classic HD
- Houston Texans, NRG Stadium, Hellas Matrix Turf
- Indianapolis Colts, Lucas Oil Stadium, Shaw Sports Momentum Pro
- Los Angeles Rams, SoFi Stadium, Hellas Matrix Turf
- Los Angeles Chargers, SoFi Stadium, Hellas Matrix Turf
- New Orleans Saints, Caesars Superdome, FieldTurf Revolution 360
- New York Giants, MetLife Stadium, UBU Sports Speed Series S5-M Synthetic Turf
- New York Jets, MetLife Stadium, UBU Sports Speed Series S5-M Synthetic Turf
NFL fields that use Desso GrassMaster
Desso Grassmaster is a hybrid grass sports playing field surface that is a mix of artificial fibers and natural grass. The combination was developed in 1993 by the Dutch company Desso Sports.
- Green Bay Packers, Lambeau Field, Desso GrassMaster
- Philadelphia Eagles, Lincoln Financial Field, Desso GrassMaster