Is Turf Ending Football Careers? NFL Witnessed More Than 2x Spike in Achilles Injuries Since 2019

The NFL regular season has ended. For many, this season was to learn from their mistakes and grow. But there were a few players this time who couldn’t even wrap up the season properly. The Achilles injury took away their hopes. An instance that comes to mind immediately is the New York Jets QB Aaron Rodgers.

However, Rodgers made it to the roster after several weeks of surgery, which wasn’t the case with the rest of the players who were dealing with Achilles’ injury this time. It won’t be arguably wrong that a hardcore sport like the NFL comes with its fair share of dangers. But who is to be blamed? The NFL rules, playing techniques, or the recent controversial topic, the “turf”? But before dealing with this issue, let’s dive into a recent report that tells the league’s fearful image regarding the Achilles tendon.

Has the number of reported Achilles injuries doubled?

In the NFL, the occurrences of Achilles injuries have significantly increased since 2019. The percentage of players going on injured reserve due to Achilles’ injury rose from 21.2% in 2019 to 46.2% 2022 season. Notably, the 2023 season witnessed a further surge in Achilles’ injuries, with a tweet from sports physician, MD Jesse Morse, highlighting the substantial increase.

In 2023, six players – Marlon Mack, Tim Patrick, J.K. Dobbins, Aaron Rodgers, Kirk Cousins, and Cam Akers – suffered Achilles injuries, compared to only one player, Caleb Huntley in the 2022 season. Doctor Morse on X emphasized that the mentioned list covers only QBs, RBs, WRs, & TEs, suggesting that the actual number of Achilles injuries may be even higher.

Additionally, he mentioned, “Every player should have his Achilles evaluated with ultrasound at least 2-3 times per year,” bringing an important question into the light. Are the turf fields the reason behind these Achilles’ tears? Let’s find out what other reports suggest.

Data backing the grass-turf argument calls for a real change!

AATRs, or Acute Achilles Tendon Ruptures, are frequent injuries in the sports world, affecting elite and recreational athletes. A report indicates that resuming physical activity after a prolonged inactivity raises the risk of musculoskeletal injuries. If this is to be true, then the league which has a good amount of off-season gap could be one factor.

But that’s not everything to be blamed. Aaron Rodgers’ Achilles tear in his debut game at MetLife Stadium brought up this debate into the limelight. The stadium has a synthetic turf and is the same venue that injured Brandon Marshall in 2017. Since then, he hasn’t stepped into the NFL world and has blamed Metlife for not taking adequate measures toward a change in its turf.

According to a report by NBC News, out of the top 10 stadiums with the highest average injuries per game, 7 have synthetic turf, while out of the bottom 10 stadiums with the fewest injuries, 7 have natural grass. It further claims that “the highest injury counts from 2017 to 2022 had artificial surfaces.”

This suggests that stadiums with synthetic turf tend to experience a higher average number of injuries per game than those with natural grass. However, there could also be other factors contributing to the Achilles tear while playing one of the “dangerous sports.” One cannot ignore the multiple examples in the league that show some gruesome season-ending injuries caused by Achilles ruptures.

Read more: NFL Injury Report: Top Five NFL Injuries That Happened in 2023 and How They Impacted The League

Therefore, it’s high time for the NFL to take precautions and implement other useful measures regarding season-ending injuries on the turf. Otherwise, it will result in situations similar to what Marshall is going through. Back then, he said, “That was pretty much the last of me. I felt like I could’ve played a couple of more years, you know? That play was over. There have been lots of players complaining about this turf. Even this year, you had guys go down with non-contact injuries and it’s pretty much ruining careers.”

Realistically, moving all stadium fields to a high-quality natural grass surface is the easiest decision that the NFL can take. ‘When?’ is the question.

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