NFL's turf fields under renewed scrutiny as stadiums adopt grass for World Cup

Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News on May 13, 2026

Published in Football

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NEW YORK — The NFL’s use of turf fields is under renewed scrutiny as North America prepares for the World Cup.

Last week, MetLife Stadium — home of the Giants and Jets — kicked off a two-day process to install grass fields before it hosts eight World Cup matches, including the final on July 19.

MetLife Stadium is one of 15 NFL venues that used artificial turf last season, despite frequent criticisms from the NFL Players Association, which contends natural grass is easier on the body.

JC Tretter, the NFLPA’s executive director, reiterated that position during a recent appearance on “Not Just Football with Cam Heyward” podcast.

“If you look at FIFA, they’ll roll out the green carpet for soccer players, and that’s become the norm,” Tretter said this month.

“Over in European leagues, that is what you do. You play on grass. They have surface standards that each thing is rolled out. It’s exactly how it’s supposed to be, and those players will not play if it’s not that.”

MetLife Stadium, in particular, has been the poster child for turf criticisms, though it did switch before the 2023 season to a FieldTurf Core system that was considered a safer alternative.

Aaron Rodgers and Malik Nabers are among the players to suffer serious leg injuries at MetLife Stadium since the start of 2023.

Following Naber’s knee injury last year, former Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr. — who suffered a fractured ankle at MetLife Stadium in 2017 when he was rolled up on by a defender — urged the NFL to get rid of turf.

However, Dr. Allen Sills, the NFL’s chief medical officer, has said there are no “statistically significant differences” between the playing surfaces in terms of lower-extremity injuries or concussions.

In response to that stance, Tretter argues that the rate of injuries on turf has remained steady but has increased on grass.

“What we want is good grass fields. We want good, solid fields,” said Tretter, a former offensive lineman for the Green Bay Packers and Cleveland Browns.

“If you ask every player — we polled 1,700 players — 92 percent say they want grass over turf,” he said. “There is something about the feeling of being on grass; your body feels different. I think if you ask the coaches, just standing on grass vs. standing on turf for three hours feels different. There is something there that impacts the body.”

In December, the NFL said all stadiums will need to meet new standards for their fields before the 2028 season. The NFL’s current collective bargaining agreement with the NFLPA runs through 2030.

MetLife Stadium — which will be temporarily renamed “New York New Jersey Stadium” during the World Cup — is hardly the only venue switching to grass fields for the international soccer tournament after using some kind of synthetic surface for NFL games.

The others include Dallas’ AT&T Stadium, New England’s Gillette Stadium, Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium, Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Seattle’s Lumen Field and Houston’s NRG Stadium.