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Seven NFL stadiums are installing grass fields to comply with FIFA regulations for this summer world cupand one of the league’s biggest stars is calling out the hypocrisy.
Half of the league’s stadiums use grass, despite NFLPA CEO Lloyd Howell saying that 92% of league players I prefer grass.
However, common speculation is that grass is cheaper to use and easier to maintain than grass, considering 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 criticized the NFL for ignoring players’ requests but bending the knee to FIFA.
“We have made it clear that we prefer grass fields. We know it is better for our bodies. And clearly, we know it is possible based on everything that was done to put grass fields for the World Cup in every stadium,” Kittle said in a statement the NFLPA posted on social media.
Workers install the pitch at New York New Jersey Stadium, temporarily renamed MetLife Stadium, ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on May 7, 2026. (Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images)
WORLD CUP ANNOUNCER SAYS FIFA GRASS MANDATE WILL BE ‘GREAT CONVERSATION’ ABOUT NFL GRASS FIELDS
“At this point, it all comes down to the NFL making it a priority and choosing to invest in us as players, because our bodies are our business, and they can profit from it!”
Kittle is recovering from a torn Achilles tendon he suffered on the Philadelphia turf.
Former offensive lineman Andrew Whitworth recently told Pak Gazette Digital that he “would be absolutely” frustrated with the NFL if he were in Kittle’s shoes.
“I don’t think there’s any question about it, just because we’ve expressed so many things that we’d love to have it…” Whitworth admitted, but said he understood the territory argument. “The reality is that everyone wants to play on grass because it feels better.”
Was announced at the end of last year that each NFL team will receive “a library of approved and accredited NFL fields” before the 2026 season begins. Any new fields will have to immediately meet those standards, and all teams will have two years to reach them.
Both grass and synthetic turf fields will be subject to the new standards, but the NFL has no plans to require natural grass fields.
The NFL logo is displayed 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 medical officer, Dr. Allen Sills, said there are no “statistically significant differences” in lower extremity injuries or concussions that can be attributed to the type of playing surface or a specific surface. This despite players’ widespread preference for grass fields and complaints about surfaces like MetLife Stadium, where the New York Giants and Jets play and where the World Cup final will be played on July 19.
