Barkley Argues NFL Has No Excuse to Keep Turf After World Cup Required Grass

With the World Cup concluded, National Football League players are intensifying demands for the league to abandon artificial turf in favor of natural grass surfaces. The precedent set during this year’s soccer tournament has emboldened athletes, who point out that seven of 11 U.S. World Cup venues were NFL stadiums forced to install grass to meet FIFA standards.

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley told Fox News Digital that the league cannot reasonably resist player requests now that the infrastructure conversion has been proven feasible. “If you’re able to do it for the World Cup, it doesn’t really make sense” to maintain turf fields, Barkley said, adding that he believes research will eventually demonstrate grass offers superior safety for athletes.

The NFLPA has championed the cause through social media campaigns and humor, with players launching a “#WorthTheCost” movement this summer. Despite acknowledging his own need to review injury data more thoroughly, Barkley stated plainly: “There’s no reason why, if you’re able to do it for the World Cup, we can’t do it.”

League leadership contends no statistical evidence proves grass reduces injuries compared to synthetic surfaces. Dr. Allen Sills, the NFL’s chief medical officer, has stated there are no “statistically significant differences” in lower-extremity injuries or concussions between field types, contradicting widespread player preference documented by NFLPA Executive Director Lloyd Howell, who reported 92 percent of athletes favor grass.

Approximately half of NFL stadiums currently use artificial turf, maintained partly because of cost and maintenance advantages over natural grass, particularly given year-round facility usage. The league announced late last year that all teams must meet new field standards before the 2026 season, though no mandate requires natural grass installation.