When it comes to the NFL’s long-running grass-versus-turf debate, Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones has traditionally leaned toward turf fields. But that does not necessarily mean everyone within the Cowboys organization shares the same view, especially when player safety comes up. This week, wide receiver CeeDee Lamb shared a post on his Instagram story that read:

“NFL players were asked by the NFLPA if they preferred grass or turf. 92% wanted grass.” And while reposting it, Lamb made his own stance pretty clear as well, adding a direct plea toward the league by writing, “please? @nfl.”

CeeDee Lamb’s request toward the NFL came shortly after JC Tretter, the executive director of the NFL Players Association, publicly clarified where NFL players stand in the ongoing grass-versus-turf debate. During his appearance on Cam Heyward’s Not Just Football Podcast, Trettter noted:

“If you ask every player that we polled, 1,700 players, 92% say they want grass over turf. There is something about the feeling of being on ​grass, the body feels different. I think if you ask the coaches, ​just standing on grass vs. standing on turf for three hours feels different. There is ‌something ⁠there that impacts the body.”

For decades, the NFL heavily relied on AstroTurf across stadiums around the league. Over time, though, major safety concerns started surfacing as players consistently experienced higher rates of non-contact lower-body injuries on artificial surfaces compared to natural grass. Eventually, the league moved away from traditional AstroTurf systems. Today, several teams, including the Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, Arizona Cardinals, Las Vegas Raiders, and others, avoid artificial turf altogether.

At the same time, however, a large portion of the league still uses different forms of synthetic turf systems, ranging from Hellas Matrix Turf to FieldTurf and UBU Sports Turf. Here is how some NFL stadiums currently line up:

Still, despite the widespread use of artificial surfaces, one issue continues following the conversation around them: injuries. The grass-versus-turf debate has existed around the NFL for years, but it gained major traction after Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles tendon just four snaps into his debut season with the Jets back in 2023, effectively ending his year almost immediately.

Since then, concerns surrounding player safety on turf fields have only intensified. To put things into perspective, the NFL studied injury data collected from 2012 through 2018, and the results showed significantly higher non-contact injury rates on artificial surfaces during both games and practices.

More specifically, players experienced a 28% higher rate of non-contact lower-extremity injuries on turf. Within that category, there was also a 32% higher rate of non-contact knee injuries and a staggering 69% increase in non-contact foot and ankle injuries compared to natural grass fields.

So when the NFLPA survey revealed that 92% of players preferred grass surfaces and CeeDee Lamb publicly backed that stance, it was not difficult to understand why. At the same time, though, the Cowboys continue using artificial turf at AT&T Stadium, and Jerry Jones has not shown any indication that the franchise plans to move toward natural grass anytime soon.

Jerry Jones will keep the Cowboys playing on the turf

As the 2026 FIFA World Cup approaches, AT&T Stadium is preparing to host multiple World Cup matches ahead of the NFL season. For the tournament, the stadium will temporarily switch from artificial turf to natural grass, since FIFA requires matches to be played on grass surfaces. But despite that change, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has already made it clear the Cowboys will continue playing on turf, citing the economic factor.

“No,” Jones said when given the hypothetical of Dallas playing on grass. “We have more flexibility with the way we handle our surface at the stadium. We have no belief that it’s any safer to play on grass. The turf, actually like many things, improves the economics of being able to play this game and our players are the biggest benefactor of all. They get the best benefit of when we do good things financially, the players benefit. So I’m working for you, baby, if you’re a player.”

Apart from the AT&T Stadium, several other stadiums, including Gillette Stadium, Lumen Field, NRG Stadium, SoFi Stadium, and Mercedes-Benz Stadium, are also switching to softer grass surfaces for the tournament.

At the same time, though, while CeeDee Lamb recently urged the NFL to move toward grass fields across the league, Jerry Jones continues standing firmly on the opposite side of the debate. Which means once the World Cup wraps up, the Cowboys are expected to return to playing on artificial turf, unlike several NFL stadiums that already operate with natural grass surfaces full-time.

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