In a new loss for the Miami Dolphins, offensive player Bradley Chubb suffered a torn ACL during a game against the Baltimore Ravens on New Year’s Eve, reigniting the debate over the safety of playing on artificial turf, as Chubb joined a long list of players who have suffered devastating lower limb injuries this season, prompting players to call for changes to fields they deem unnecessary and dangerous.
Recent Injuries in the League
Below is a list of recent injuries sustained by players in the National Football League:
The Debate Over Artificial Turf
The debate over whether fields should be made of natural or synthetic materials has been ongoing, but the recent spate of injuries has brought this discussion back into the public eye. There are 15 fields (serving 17 teams) in the National Football League that use synthetic grass for their fields and 15 fields that use artificial turf. The NFL Players Association has considered for years that there should be a transition to the use of natural fields rather than artificial turf, and Rodgers called for this decision to be expanded to include the entire league before he was injured with an ACL tear. Artificial turf is softer and allows for increased “jarring” when a foot strikes the ground, leading to unforeseen injuries. The union renewed its call for change again after Rodgers’ injury, describing it as “the easiest decision the NFL could make.” NBC News reported Sunday that among the 10 fields that had the highest injury counts between 2017 and 2022, seven of them used artificial turf. Sports Info Solutions reported to NBC that players are more likely to suffer injuries that force them to leave the game when playing on artificial grass.
Mixed Reactions
Some may say that artificial fields are there for a reason and that the risks are equal. Jeff Miller, vice president of the NFL, stated that the league is focused on reducing the number of injuries regardless of the playing surface and that the type of field is ultimately up to the team owners who control their home fields. Grass fields are generally more expensive to maintain than artificial ones and need to be preserved with high-quality grass, which may struggle in the colder areas of the country during the winter months, according to a CBS report. The Tennessee Titans noted that they switched to artificial turf simply because it was impossible to maintain natural grass.
Big Numbers
$328.9 million. This is the amount that players who suffered ACL or Achilles tears or other lower limb injuries this year will receive collectively.
Side Effects
The nature of American football as a full-contact sport has led to criticism and scrutiny, especially concerning hard hits. The most common injuries in football are muscle strains and ligament sprains, which occur in both contact and non-contact settings, along with dislocations, fractures, and concussions. The NFL reported that 213 players suffered concussions during regular season games or preseason games last year, compared to 187 in 2021 and 172 in 2020. There were no preseason games in 2020. The league has faced intense scrutiny due to the increasing number of players diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) from hard hits, which lead to symptoms such as changes in mental health and death. Damar Hamlin, a defensive player for the Buffalo Bills, suffered cardiac arrest after a tackle in a game last year. He has since recovered and received clearance to play again.
More
From Reading
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