On Sunday, Saints quarterback Derek Carr narrowly escaped a potential disaster when he suffered a shoulder injury.
Following the incidence, it was confirmed that Carr had no internal damage, indicating that he had indeed “avoided disaster” with his shoulder injury. The extent of the injury will be assessed further on Monday.
Saints QB Derek Carr got lucky on Sunday, in part because his upper body slammed into grass and not turf. https://t.co/cwQ4YLi0tH
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) September 25, 2023
However, Carr’s injury occurred on high-quality grass, which played a crucial role in minimizing the severity of the impact. Had it been artificial turf, which lacks shock absorption, the outcome could have been much more severe.
Despite the overwhelming evidence in favor of grass fields, a misguided debate regarding the benefits of turf versus grass continues to persist. This erroneous discussion has even found its way into respected sports publications and media platforms.
Here’s the quote: “I think I found this interesting: Noise made about how bad artificial turf is after Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles on a contact injury on artificial turf on Monday Night Football in week one: Ear-splitting. Endless. Noise made about natural grass after Nick Chubb tore knee ligaments on a contact injury on natural grass on Monday Night Football in week two: Not a peep—at least that I heard.”
The fallacy of the turf vs. grass debate, in Rodgers’ case, the question arose as to whether his shoe became lodged in the turf at MetLife Stadium, potentially contributing to the injury.
However, Chubb’s injury resulted from a violent blow to the side of his leg, which no playing surface could have lessened.
No real debate exists between grass and turf surfaces among current players themselves.
While some proponents of turf may try to justify choosing the cheaper alternative, there is an undeniable consensus among players in favor of grass fields.
The NFL Players Association has even advocated for the use of grass fields for safety reasons.
Moreover, several stadiums have shown willingness to replace turf with hybrid surfaces to secure prestigious events like the World Cup.
With not a single current player publicly stating a preference for turf over grass, there is no legitimate basis for a debate.
