NFL players seize World Cup grass moment in turf fight
Players are using #WorthTheCost to press NFL owners for grass fields after World Cup venues temporarily swapped out turf.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
With Sunday’s FIFA World Cup final headed for MetLife Stadium, dozens of NFL players are using soccer’s summer showcase to renew a familiar demand: give football players grass, too.
ESPN reported that players including Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams and Washington Commanders offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil have posted on social media with the hashtag #WorthTheCost, calling for NFL stadiums to use natural grass on a lasting basis.
MetLife Stadium is one of the NFL venues that installed grass for World Cup matches this summer after previously using artificial turf. According to ESPN, NFL stadiums hosted 78 FIFA World Cup games during the tournament.
Tunsil put the players’ argument plainly in a post on X, writing: “If stadiums can make grass work for the World Cup, they can make it work for NFL players. We're #WorthTheCost.”
Linebacker Zaire Franklin also joined the push on X. In his post, Franklin wrote that players are the ones who bear the price when no change is made, adding: “Make grass mandatory. We're #WorthTheCost.”
The union’s case
The social media burst follows a statement from the NFL Players Association at the start of the FIFA World Cup urging owners to move NFL games to natural grass surfaces.
According to the NFLPA, all 11 NFL stadiums staging World Cup matches installed natural grass at FIFA’s request. ESPN reported that seven of those stadiums usually use synthetic turf as their main NFL surface and are set to switch back after the tournament ends Sunday.
In its statement, the NFLPA said the World Cup change showed the issue was not whether grass fields could be installed. The union said the technology, know-how and money are available to provide the kind of grass surfaces that players prefer.
The NFLPA also argued that team owners had made investments to meet expectations for international athletes and major global events, while NFL players who compete in the same venues were still waiting for the same treatment.
The union said in the statement that “92% of NFL players prefer natural grass.”
No NFL response Friday
The latest player campaign comes as MetLife prepares for the World Cup final, putting one of the league’s most visible turf venues directly in the middle of the debate.
ESPN reported that the NFL did not respond Friday afternoon to a request for comment about the players’ social media campaign.
The league’s stadium surface debate has been a long-running player safety issue, and the World Cup has given players a fresh example to point at: fields that can be changed for soccer, then changed back for football.
For Tunsil, Franklin and the players posting #WorthTheCost, the message is direct. If grass can be brought in for FIFA’s biggest event, they want it kept for the NFL season.
This story draws on original reporting from ESPN.com.