Josh Allen has built a reputation for playing through contact and putting his body on the line, but his latest comments show a different kind of physical strain. The Buffalo Bills star quarterback has drawn attention to an issue that has been in the league for years, but it goes beyond wins, losses, and all other statistics.
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The 2024 NFL MVP is one of the league’s most durable and aggressive quarterbacks, but even he would always prefer natural grass after experiencing painful burns from playing on artificial turf. In a recent press conference, Allen admitted the physical toll on his body after playing on the artificial turf.
“Yeah, I think grass is healthier for our bodies. I’m at a point in my career now that when we practice inside on the artificial, I can feel it the next day, you know, 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 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 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.”
Allen’s comments highlighted a concern that almost every NFL player has raised about artificial surfaces for years. The issues go beyond temporary nuisance, with the impact severe enough to disturb a player’s recovery.
The Buffalo Bills’ newly built Highmark Stadium features a natural grass surface, which gives the QB exactly what he wants, at least for home games. The stadium officially opened in 2026 and has a capacity of 60,108, with the Bills confirming that natural grass was part of the venue’s design.
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.
New York Jets defensive lineman Harrison Phillips, who is also a member of the NFLPA’s executive committee, sided with the players who prefer to play on the natural field during the FIFA World Cup and insisted that the league should find a way to make the turf change permanent.
“The players prefer to play on natural grass. We would love if we could get to that. There’s a ton of issues with climate and how is it possible. If they’re able to figure it out for other organizations and other groups playing, they probably can figure it out for us.”
Meanwhile, Los Angeles Rams safety Quentin Lake also shared an annoyance with playing on the artificial turf.
“Can it be done? Yes. We know it’s going to be done [at the World Cup]. So I would hope that one day, maybe in the near future, that they can do it for us.”
The turf vs. grass debate only grew stronger when FIFA replaced the artificial turf with real grass across 11 U.S. stadiums hosting the World Cup matches, including MetLife Stadium, AT&T Stadium, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Gillette Stadium, SoFi Stadium, NRG Stadium, and Lumen Field.
“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. However, not all NFL Stadiums follow this trend, and only 16 out of 32 teams have real grass, including the Pittsburgh Steelers, Las Vegas Raiders, and more.
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.
Many NFL players, including George Pickens, Caleb Williams, Travis Kelce, Brock Purdy, Tucker Kraft, Jonathan Taylor, and more, have already requested to use a natural grass surface instead of artificial turf. But since most NFL stadiums host everything, from professional football games to concerts and high-profile events to monster truck rallies, a real change has never been made.
Many NFL owners, including Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, have repeatedly cited artificial turf as a better economic option in comparison to natural grass. Jones, for one, doesn’t believe that playing on natural grass can reduce the injury risk, and claims that it’s the same on both surfaces.
“No, 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 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.”
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.