Ever since they moved to the suburban Orchard Park 34 years ago, the Buffalo Bills‘ love affair with artificial turf was hardly unknown. The reason was simple: the brutal, unpredictable Western New York winter and the minimal upkeep cost of a weather-resistant canvas. But for a team that prioritizes player upkeep more, an overhaul was only natural, especially after franchise quarterback Josh Allen and other players’ push for natural grass.

And while the new $2.2 billion Highmark Stadium is already catching some flak for it, Allen’s new medical revelation shows why the change was not just a requirement but a necessity.

“Yeah, I think grass is healthier for our bodies,” Allen confessed in a recent press conference. “I’m at a point in my career now that when we practice inside on the artificial, I can feel it the next day, and when we’re out there I feel great, and I think any guy that was honest would tell you that’s how they feel. So, one, I think it’s healthier for injury prevention.

“I’ve gotten numerous burns on my legs from artificial turf, to the point I can’t sleep at night because it’s bubbling over and it’s very painful, so I’m excited to not have to deal with that at home at least. I know we still probably will play games on the road that are turf, but if I can snap my fingers and make every field grass, that’s what I would do for sure.”

The Bills Mafia knows that Josh Allen is a tough guy who continues to play even when injured. Just take his broken bone injury after the divisional loss to the Denver Broncos last season: He needed surgery the very next day after the impact, but confessed that if they had a game next week, he would continue to play. That Superman tag doesn’t come without its pains, though.

If you remember, the Bills’ former head coach Sean McDermott was always happy that his quarterback was a two-way threat for the opponents. What he wanted Allen to drop was his habit of running into the defenders instead of tackling them head-on. The result was him getting hit worse. On artificial turf, that would be a bigger problem, considering how many players suffer from turf toe and have to abandon entire seasons to rehab.

In fact, Allen’s broken bone was also initially considered to be a mild turf toe. High-profile quarterbacks Joe Burrow and Brock Purdy both dealt with turf-toe injuries during the 2025 NFL season, and so did the Giants’ wide receiver Malik Nabers.

A 2024 study examined 718 less severe NFL injuries from the 2021 and 2022 seasons and found injury rates of 1.42 per game on artificial turf and 1.22 per game on natural grass. The same study also found higher chances of season-ending surgery from playing on artificial turf. That’s the very reason why many players and the NFLPA have been pushing to replace artificial surfaces for years now.

NFLPA and the NFL players voice against artificial turf, and owners make their case

According to a poll conducted by the NFLPA with the union’s player members earlier this year, 92 percent of over 1,700 players preferred to play on natural grass. Only two percent of those preferred synthetic turf, while six percent had no preference. But the debate blew up when the stadiums that host NFL teams hosted the FIFA World Cup in June and switched to natural grass only to go back to artificial turf.

Multiple NFL players then posted on X with “#WorthTheCost.” Many even voiced their opinions on the artificial turf:

“We know grass is possible because we have seen stadiums make the change. Players are #WorthTheCost,” Pittsburgh Steelers’ linebacker Patrick Queen wrote on X, with teammate Cam Heyward reposting the tweet.

While Green Bay already has natural turf, their tight end Tucker Kraft still voiced the demand to support the other 16 teams that still haven’t made the choice.

“Green Bay Packers are spoiled since we play on the greatest surface in the NFL,” Kraft posted on X. “Natural grass is the best, and should be the only surface we play on. We are #WorthTheCost.”

“Grass looks great at MetLife! Can we keep it that way, @NFL ?? Would appreciate it, thanks,” posted George Kittle on X after seeing the stadiums covered with natural grass surface instead of the artificial turf that all NFL players are used to.

Even the San Francisco 49ers play on a natural grass field at Levi’s Stadium. Following his Achilles injury during a Wild Card playoff win against the Philadelphia Eagles in January 2025, the San Francisco 49ers TE is officially activated from the PUP list and is focused on a comeback ahead of the regular season.

Josh Allen, for one, has been making a case for natural grass since 2023. Back then, he told reporters that “it feels harder on their bodies after a game or practice on turf.”

“They need to figure out a way for every team to get grass,” Allen said.

For the owners, though, the case has simply been about the cost and effort.

“No, we have more flexibility with the way we handle our surface at the stadium,” the Dallas Cowboys owner and GM Jerry Jones said. “We have no belief that it’s any safer to play on a grass [field] or a turf. We are ambiguous as to the safety of it.

“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 are benefiting. So I’m working for you, baby, OK, if you’re a player.”

“I know that there’s been a lot of discussions about just having a uniform surface so there’s more consistency from field to field,” Vikings owner/EVP Jonathan Wilf said in 2023. “So not one turf that feels harder than another turf, or one slicker than another turf.”

However, only 16 teams don’t have natural grass, and the Buffalo Bills are not part of that group anymore.

The Bills move back to their over three-decade-old ways

After the Bills went from being contenders to seeing their quarterback go down against the Broncos last season, the franchise had already made it clear that it is going to focus on its players. With the new Highmark Stadium, the team has done just that.

“Buffalo, it’s not 1973 anymore. We’re in 2025,” Bills general manager Brandon Beane told USA TODAY Sports in January. “You’ve seen places like Green Bay, Pittsburgh, Kansas City and Chicago using technology; that helped us put together a plan to be able to handle the weather here. We feel we have the right grass people and field turf people to help us manage this. And our players are going to benefit from playing on grass.”

Manufacturer SCG Fields employed a special grass-growing technology for the field’s Kentucky bluegrass. It includes a combination of hydronic heating, grow lights, sub-air technology, and irrigation to keep the grass healthy even in the torturous Buffalo winters.

“I can’t wait for grass. It’s going to be awesome,” said starting right tackle Spencer Brown, who struggled with a flared back in 2024.

The grass was laid in October last year but is still rooting itself into the ground, probably why you saw what you did in the team’s preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers on Saturday.

On the final play of the first quarter, backup quarterback Kyle Allen scrambled left and got pinched off near the sideline. As Carolina Panthers cornerback Chau Smith-Wade delivered a crushing blow, Allen slid and sent a massive clump of the new grass flying into the air. Having already played their part in the game, quarterback Josh Allen, receiver DJ Moore, and tackles Dion Dawkins and Spencer Brown ran to put everything into place. That wasn’t the only scene.

Throughout the game, the referees, the opponents, and other Bills players were seen correcting the grass.

“The field is ass right now,” said one player bluntly. “But it’s early.”

But the rest of the group is simply proud of the new surface that won’t give them as many physical issues anymore.

“The grass looked good,” Bills linebacker Dorian Williams said. “It was cool. A couple spots kind of chunked up a little bit, but it’s better than playing on (artificial) turf.

“The kinks will keep getting worked out. You can see some of the grass kind of mound up and guys knocking it back down, but I’ve had no traction problems so far.”

The NFL itself has now continued to monitor the issue. The league has continued to focus on field testing, consistency, and surface-quality standards. Josh Allen has spent years absorbing hits, and his latest comments suggest that an immediate switch to the artificial turf is a must. Thankfully for him, the Bills have already heard him.