The playing surfaces for NFL fields have been a topic of great discussion and debate over the last several years.
One of the driving factors for this discourse has been player safety, as many players have suffered injuries that have been attributed to the type of turf on particular fields.
The FIFA World Cup will be coming to the United States in 2026, and many NFL stadiums will be making changes to accommodate FIFA’s rules, causing outrage among NFL media members.
They will change for FIFA! Not their own players? Am I missing something ? https://t.co/COPz51GHoG
— Andrew Whitworth (@AndrewWhitworth) January 12, 2023
One of the outraged individuals was Andrew Whitworth, a 16-year NFL veteran.
He contends that NFL stadiums are willing to change their playing surface for an international event that will happen in four years, but aren’t doing anything to improve their facilities for their players.
As more players get injured, the more outcry there is, and it appears that a major change will be in order if the rate of injury continues.
Will the World Cup truly be the catalyst to change all NFL fields to a safer type of turf?
If the NFL’s Player Association has anything to say about it, those changes may come to fruition sooner than 2026.
Whitworth is one of the most respected players to come out of the NFL in quite some time.
His ability to lead others has naturally led to many around the league to listen to what he has to say.
If he continues to be an advocate for changing the playing surface, there could be a greater possibility of a league-wide change.
