Before the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicked off, the NFLPA shared a post on social media that read, “Player Voices Should Shape Their Game From the Ground Up.” On the next slide, a poll featured that 92% of the NFL players want to play on natural grass rather than turf. Despite a clear majority among players, there are still multiple stadiums that operate on turf, as a few owners are strictly against playing on natural grass, including Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.

The Kansas City Chiefs are all set to move out of the historic Arrowhead Stadium by the 2031 season to play in a newly built dome-shaped stadium. And according to team president Mark Donovan, the Chiefs’ first preference is to play on natural grass.

“We had designed the building to be able to do either (turf or grass),” Donovan said per Sports Business Journal. “Our preference, and we stated this publicly, is grass. We want to figure that out. If you’re asking me today, we feel pretty strong that we’re going to be playing on natural grass.”

In December 2025, the Chiefs announced that they were moving out of Arrowhead Stadium in Missouri and shifting to a $3 billion dome-shaped stadium in Kansas by 2031. While there were doubts about what the Chiefs would opt for when it came to turf and grass, it is for the first time, a decision has been announced.

In the NFL, 14 stadiums still use a turf surface. Arrowhead had always deployed grass and will continue the trend in their new stadium. This means 16 teams will continue having a grass field, with more expected to change their mind in the future, if pressure from the players continues.

The debate around natural grass vs synthetic turf has been dominating the league for years. This is mainly due to the multiple gruesome injuries players have endured over the years, including quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ season-ending injury during the New York Jets‘ 2024 season opener.

The debate further blew up during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Out of the 11 stadiums that hosted games, seven did not have a grass surface. However, due to FIFA regulations, they had to mandatorily make arrangements for it. Once the tournament concluded, however, NFL venues reverted to their usual playing surfaces, including the Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium, which switched back to artificial turf.

The Cowboys’ owner, Jerry Jones, has been against playing on natural grass. Just a couple of months ago, the owner argued that it’s not even safe to play on grass either.

“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,” Jones said. “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.”

However, following the wrap-up of the FIFA World Cup, many NFL players publicly renewed calls for their teams to adopt natural grass after seeing FIFA require grass surfaces in NFL stadiums. Cooper Rush, Leonard Williams, Will Anderson Jr., along with the Las Vegas Raiders’ owner Mark Davis, and the Houston Texans’ head coach DeMeco Ryans, have all called for a change.

While there is little debate that natural grass provides a safer playing surface than artificial turf, critics point out that grass fields are more difficult and expensive to maintain. They also argue that natural grass is less durable than turf, particularly in stadiums exposed to harsh weather or heavy use. Jerry Jones, meanwhile, remained firm on his stance of the Cowboys moving ahead with a turf field at AT&T Stadium in the 2026 season.