Titans discard pure grass for synthetic grass at Nissan Stadium, citing damage and participant security

The Tennessee Titans have made a transparent declare within the NFL’s ongoing turf-versus-grass debate. They’re workforce subject.

The Titans introduced on Tuesday that they are going to be changing the pure grass at Nissan Stadium with the most recent innovation in synthetic grass. The workforce cited the gamers’ security and a historical past of accidents at dwelling from enjoying on pure grass in a “transitional local weather zone”.

The change comes as gamers and coaches have weighed the chance of damage from enjoying surfaces, with many arguing for a transfer to pure grass the place synthetic grass is already in use.

Head coach Mike Vrabel addressed the choice in a Titans publication, noting the declining high quality of pure grass in Nashville over the course of the season.

“Nothing is extra necessary than the well being and security of our gamers,” mentioned Vrabel. “We had lots of issues (with the grass on the Nissan Stadium) after a sure a part of the season. It’s troublesome to develop weed. It’s going to be easy.

“Our garden is lower than par with another lawns. Originally of the 12 months, in the summertime, within the coaching camp, within the pre-season, I can see that she’s very constant. However when the season subsides and the climate adjustments, there’s a noticeable distinction within the subject’s efficiency.

In keeping with the Titans, “the workforce is changing the grass with monofilament, organic-filled Matrix Helix Turf to “guarantee a constant gaming expertise year-round.”

Floor crews in Nashville clear snow earlier than a Titans vs. Texans recreation in December. (Andrew Nelles/Reuters)

Vrabel added that the workforce had beforehand put in the brand new turf of their observe bubble and that “the response has been very optimistic”.

The Related Press experiences that the Titans have led the NFL every of the previous two seasons, with most gamers enjoying largely resulting from accidents. They set a league report for gamers who performed in a non-strike season with 91 in 2021.

The Carolina Panthers, who play in a local weather much like that of the Titans in Charlotte, changed the pure turf at Financial institution of America Stadium with synthetic turf in 2021. The workforce cited pure turf put on as the rationale for his or her transfer to the Panthers, able to share the sector with MLS’s Charlotte FC.

The story goes on

Synthetic turf at some NFL stadiums has come below fireplace, together with the floor of SoFi Stadium, which hosts the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers and is on the Tremendous Bowl rotation. The turf has been accused of enjoying a task within the cruciate ligament rupture suffered by Rams receiver Odell Beckham Jr. in final season’s Tremendous Bowl. Seattle head coach Pete Carroll and security Ryan Neal each surfaced in October following a collection of accidents throughout a recreation between the Seahawks and the Chargers.

MetLife Stadium in New Jersey was additionally blamed for quite a few accidents, prompting a 2020 NFLPA floor assessment. That very same 12 months, NFLPA President JC Tretter requested that every one stadiums be transformed to pure grass till artificial-turf producers can produce a confirmed safer turf various.

Turf know-how is consistently evolving and has come a great distance because the flood of AstroTurf fields round NFL and MLB stadiums following their introduction in Houston in 1966. Biomechanics engineer and NFL advisor Richard Kent instructed Yahoo Sports activities in September that he believes turf will in the future outperform pure turf by way of participant security.

“There’s no purpose to consider we will’t construct synthetic turf that’s safer and higher performing than pure grass,” mentioned Kent. “With the precise workforce and the required sources, it’s positively doable.”

The Titans concluded that know-how has superior sufficient to supply a big enchancment over grass for the upcoming season — not less than for the workforce’s local weather in Nashville.

Supply