KIRKWOOD, Mo. – The game of football comes at a price.
It is a contact sport, but a 2022 NFLPA study suggests many injuries could be prevented if every NFL stadium used grass. Now, fewer than half of the NFL stadiums use grass.
Aaron Rodgers is the latest NFL athlete to be injured on a turf field. Rodgers tore his Achilles tendon on Monday night against the Buffalo Bills when he was sacked in the first quarter.
Rodgers’ former Packers teammate David Bakhtiari has slammed the NFL for continuing to allow the game to be played on turf. NFL stadiums that are hosting 2026 World Cup games will bring in temporary grass pitches for the games.
The debate is split among players on the Kirkwood High School football team.
Senior quarterback Creighton Wise prefers turf fields. His teammate and junior linebacker Carson Lindquist prefers grass fields if they are well-maintained.
Running backs coach Courtland Griffin, who had his fair share of injuries in his football career, said it’s just a matter of going out on the field and playing.
“To each his own,” Griffin said. “I think every field can be favored or not favored, depends on the athlete and depends on the team.”
Kirkwood will play all of their home and away games on turf this season.
“I think you just play the game,” Lindquist told FOX 2 Tuesday. “If it’s on turf, it’s on turf; and if it’s on grass, it’s on grass.”
Rodgers now must make the difficult decision on whether he wants to return next season. And whether one of the greatest quarterbacks in history is capable of one more fourth quarter comeback, but this time it’s his career he’s chasing after.
“He’s at that age where if he really wants to play, he can come back,” Lindquist said.
“He just has to believe; I think he has to believe that he can do it.”
