Despite Aaron Rodgers’ Season-Ending Injury, Eli Manning Stands Against Joe Burrow to Protect NFL From “Messed Up” Ban

In a heartbreaking moment for New York Jets fans, their star QB, tore his Achilles tendon just four snaps into the game against the Buffalo Bills. The injury has pushed him out of this season. This reignited the turf-grass debate and now Eli Manning has weighed in on the controversy with a contrarian opinion.

Soon after A-Rod’s crash out of the season, several players such as the Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes and Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow voiced their opinions on the issue. 

Team A: Artificial turfs are more reliable than grass surfaces

Eli Manning, the former New York Giants QB and scion of the illustrious Manning family appeared in the latest Front Office Sports Today episode and declared his stance on the issue. 

The younger brother of 2x SB Champion Peyton Manning said, “I think the turf, it gives you a reliable field all the time. The Giants played in that same stadium in a big rainstorm. You always have a clean surface.” He went on to say that the turf didn’t have a factor in the 4x NFL MVP’s season-ending injury.

Manning’s thoughts echo the NFL’s own line of thinking. Jeff Miller, the NFL’s executive VP of communications, made the same assertion. He backed up his claim with the fact that Ravens RB Dobbins had torn his Achilles at the Ravens’ stadium, which has a grass surface.

Read more: When will Aaron Rodgers Be Back? 39YO Injured Jets QB Shocks NFL with his 3-Word-Response

However, this side has few supporters as the NFLPA came out with a statement supporting having grass turfs in all stadiums.

Team B: Grass surfaces cause less injury

The statement issued by Lloyd Howell, the executive director of the NFLPA alleged that players overwhelmingly prefer grass surfaces and data clearly indicates that artificial turf has a 28% higher rate of non-contact lower body injuries.

2x Super Bowl MVP, Patrick Mahomes, retweeted Lloyd’s statement which suggests that he agrees with him. Bengals QB, and the NFL’s highest-paid player of all time, Joe Burrow also supported installing grass fields in all 30 NFL stadiums. He added that having a standard for turf fields across the league is important and would improve player safety. 

Will the NFL finally pay attention to its players’ and fans’ call for grass turf, similar to how the MLS plans to revamp all soccer fields with grass fields? Or will it stick its foot firmly in the ground and refuse to budge from its position?

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