With the 2026 FIFA World Cup coming to the U.S.A., several NFL stadiums, including the Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium, are undergoing mandatory changes to their playing surfaces. With the Cowboys’ home undergoing a similar renovation, reporters asked owner Jerry Jones about his opinions on the grass. Jones had a straightforward answer, sending a direct message to the roster on the changes being made to the stadium.

“No, we have more flexibility with the way we handle our surface at the stadium,” said Jerry Jones, via Todd Archer on X. “We have no belief that it’s any safer to play on grass (field) or 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 benefactors of all. They get the best benefit when we do good things financially; the players are benefiting. So I’m working for you, baby, OK, if you’re a player.”

As AT&T Stadium prepares to host nine World Cup matches, the complex process of replacing its turf field is already underway. In early June, natural grass sod from Colorado will arrive in refrigerated trucks to create the new playing surface, which will then be torn out and replaced with the original turf as soon as the tournament concludes.

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“I’m very comfortable putting some grass down for soccer under regulations and proud to be able to do it, but quickly getting the turf back there to get back to the other business of the stadium and the team,” Jones said.

According to Jones, the turf provides more flexibility in hosting events, which brings economic benefit to the franchise. Grass is probably more expensive to maintain compared to artificial turf, which is cheaper in cost, more durable, and isn’t easily damaged by changes in weather conditions.

The bottom line is that the turf is beneficial to the Cowboys, because turf helps save Jerry Jones a major financial sum. This also boosts team revenue, which in turn benefits players through the league’s salary cap and revenue-sharing rules.

Moreover, the Cowboys’ owner also doesn’t believe that grass is a safer playing surface for the players compared to artificial turf, despite research claiming the same. While the owner has shared his views, it is not just AT&T Stadium that will have to sack the turf for a few months.

Nine NFL stadiums to replace the artificial turf with grass

In addition to the AT&T Stadium, there will be eight other stadiums where natural grass will be installed for the FIFA World Cup. Out of these, Arrowhead (Kansas City Chiefs) and Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Dolphins) have natural fields.

The other nine, which include AT&T Stadium, Gillette Stadium, MetLife Stadium, NRG Stadium, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, SoFi Stadium, Lucas Oil Stadium, Lumen Field, and Lincoln Financial Field, will follow the same methods as Jerry Jones.

The Lincoln Financial Field temporarily shifted to grass during the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. But later changed to turf again. The NFL has relied on turf for years, as half of the stadiums use turf. But what do the players think of it?

A few months back, All-Pro left tackle Dion Dawkins did an interview with USA TODAY Sports where he revealed the difference between turf and grass from a player’s perspective.

“Grass is the natural thing,” said Dion Dawkins. “Turf is the unnatural thing. If you’re playing on grass, there’s a give. It’s a softer bottom. Like there’s dirt, there’s soil, there’s bugs. It’s just a real, live thing. Turf, you can scrape yourself, and the turf burn is like rubbing your arm on sandpaper. Us big guys, we can plant in the turf to hold defenders back, but sometimes your feet get caught in a little seam. Grass doesn’t do that. Grass will rip up.”

It is not just Dawkins; an NFLPA survey showed that 92% of players preferred grass over turf. However, the owners do not feel the same. Most likely, they speak of things from a business perspective.

While the World Cup provides a temporary glimpse of grass fields across the league, the ultimate decision will pit the players’ overwhelming preference against the owners’ unwavering focus on the bottom line.