After Aaron Rodgers injury, NFLPA calls for grass in all stadiums - ESPN

The NFL Players Association's new executive director has called for the league to change all of its field surfaces to natural grass in the wake of Aaron Rodgers' season-ending injury.

Rodgers suffered a torn Achilles tendon on the fourth play of the Jets' season Monday night, spoiling the superstar quarterback's New York debut and reigniting the leaguewide debate over playing surfaces at NFL stadiums.

MetLife Stadium, the home of the Jets and Giants, installed a new surface earlier this year called FieldTurf, which is softer and more forgiving feel than the stadium's previous synthetic turf.

But Rodgers' injury sparked a widespread outcry for grass surfaces, and NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell echoed those sentiments in a statement released Wednesday morning.

«Moving all stadium fields to high quality natural grass surfaces is the easiest decision the NFL can make,» Howell said. «The players overwhelmingly prefer it and the data is clear that grass is simply safer than artificial turf. It is an issue that has been near the top of the players' list during my team visits and one I have raised with the NFL.»

Rodgers suffered the injury while trying to spin away from Bills defensive end Leonard Floyd. The four-time league MVP's left leg was planted in the turf and his Achilles ruptured. A slow-motion replay showed his left calf — the same calf he strained in organized team activities — reverberating as he went down for the sack.

Jets coach Robert Saleh told reporters that he does not think the playing surface caused Rodgers' injury, saying «if it was a noncontact injury, I think that'd be something to discuss, obviously.»

«That was kind of a forcible [injury],» Saleh said Tuesday. «I think that was trauma induced. I do