Aaron Rodgers Injury Spurs on NFL Turf Debate

Without a doubt, one of the biggest storylines for the 2023-2024 NFL season has been the move by star quarterback Aaron Rodgers from the Green Bay Packers to the New York Jets. The anticipation was palpable for the four-time MVP to revive a largely failing franchise after New York’s recent gamble on BYU recruit Zach Wilson left much to be desired.

Unfortunately, fans watched in horror as Rodgers tore his Achilles tendon Monday evening, sidelining the 39 year-old from play for the remainder of the season at a bare minimum. Aaron Rodgers played a total of four snaps with the Jets as it sits currently.

Turf Talk

As NFL fans mourn the absence of one of the last great quarterbacks left in the Brady era, the conversation turned to what was to blame for Rodgers’ injury. Interestingly, this discussion turned into an uproar from the NFLPA over the turf used in games.

Congrats @nfl. How many more players have to get hurt on ARTIFICIAL TURF??! You care more about soccer players than us. You plan to remove all artificial turf for the World Cup coming up. So clearly it’s feasible.
I’m sick of this..Do better!

— David Bakhtiari (@DavidBakhtiari) September 12, 2023

Darius Slay reacts to Aaron Rodgers’ torn Achilles: “I had high hopes for him being in a new jersey. But then MetLife, everyone knows bout that goddamn stadium. They need to get real grass. That’s trash.

“It’s obvious to see – a lot of guys have season-ending injuries there.” pic.twitter.com/VivZTwBaPT

— Josh Tolentino (@JCTSports) September 12, 2023

NFLPA’s new executive director, Lloyd Howell, said all NFL stadiums need to have natural grass. pic.twitter.com/7gMvv3erKJ

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 13, 2023

The NFLPA has now begun lobbying executives at the NFL to use real grass in games. Commissioner Roger Goodell talked with Stephen A. Smith on Wednesday to discuss possible alternatives.

“You have other players who like playing on the turf field, because it’s faster,” Goodell told Smith. “So you’ve got mixed opinions. What we want to go on is science, we want to go on what’s the best from an injury standpoint.”

Goodell further discussed a kind of hybrid turf for players. This turf would involve a mix of real and fake grass. Goodell told Smith that weather conditions could work to make the turf unsightly once the weather started changing.

Almost half of the NFL utilizes turf fields, so it seems unlikely that Aaron Rodger’s injury alone should spur such a drastic change. However, Goodell’s recent comments are encouraging. If turf continues to be a problem, fans may see a switch to this new kind of hybrid field composition in the future.