After Aaron Rodgers injury, an old issue comes into focus for Panthers, Charlotte FC

The NFLPA made its latest push Wednesday morning for NFL stadium fields to rid of artificial turf and play on natural grass — an issue that the Carolina Panthers and Charlotte FC know well.

“Moving all stadium fields to high quality natural grass surfaces is the easiest decision the NFL can make,” NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell said via statement. “The players overwhelmingly prefer it, and the data is clear that grass is simply safer than artificial turf. It is an issue that has been near the top of the players’ list during my team visits and one I have raised with the NFL.”

The statement comes not even 24 hours after tests confirmed that Aaron Rodgers, the quarterback who gave the New York Jets an immediate jolt of relevance and was unequivocally the biggest offseason NFL story, was downgraded to “out for the season” because of a torn Achilles. The injury occurred after he was sacked on the MetLife Stadium turf.

“While we know there is an investment to making this change, there is a bigger cost to everyone in our business if we keep losing our best players to unnecessary injuries,” Howell’s statement continued. “It makes no sense that stadiums can flip over to superior grass surfaces when the World Cup comes, or (when) soccer clubs come to visit for exhibition games in the summer, but inferior artificial surfaces are acceptable for our own players.

“This is worth the investment, and it simply needs to change now.”

The Panthers of the NFL and Charlotte FC of MLS — both enterprises of the David Tepper-run Tepper Sports & Entertainment — play their league contests on artificial turf in Bank of America Stadium in uptown Charlotte. The switch from natural grass to turf arrived in August 2021.

The move allowed the venue to be used more often and for different purposes beyond NFL games. Since the summer of ‘21, the stadium has been home to college football games and the city’s largest concerts — shows that featured the world’s brightest stars from Elton John to the Rolling Stones to Beyoncé.

But it has also drawn the concern of players — and the ire of fans — because of the safety risks that come with playing on such a surface. An April report released by the NFL Players Association states that noncontact injuries for NFL players occurred at a higher rate on artificial turf compared to grass during the 2022 regular season.

A Panthers spokesperson referred The Charlotte Observer to the league office for comment. Immediate attempts to reach someone in the league office were unsuccessful.

Panthers players react to latest turf push

This isn’t the first time this year the issue has been flung into the Charlotte community’s consciousness.

Shaq Thompson, one of the Panthers’ longest tenured players, spoke out on the issue in January, a few days after Carolina defeated the Detroit Lions on a surface that players testified was hard, slippery and dangerous.

He refreshed those comments Wednesday.

“(Sad) for Aaron Rodgers, wish for a speedy recovery,” Thompson told reporters in the locker room before practice. “Never want to see that happen to a guy like that, such a high-caliber player who means a lot to this shield. But you guys know my thoughts on turf. I mean, I would love for everybody to go to grass. Hopefully it gets done.”

Head coach Frank Reich was also asked about the situation, and he said that as a coach who was also a former player, he is sympathetic to the players’ concerns. He said he also understands that there is “another side” of the business that is the NFL.

“I’m a coach and an ex-player, so I’m very sympathetic to what the players think and want, but I do know there’s another side of it, and I don’t pretend to know all the answers,” Reich said. “And I’m really not trying to know all the answers on that. I think that it’ll work itself out among the people who make those decisions.”

Donte Jackson, who has persevered through a bunch of injuries in his career including the same injury Rodgers sustained Monday, said he hopes that team owners and players can find “common ground” on the natural grass versus turf issue.

The same was said by offensive lineman Bradley Bozeman, who was diplomatic but direct on Wednesday.

“It’s been the last couple years that we’ve been talking about that,” said the Panthers’ starting center. “It’s harder on your bodies. I don’t care what you say, you definitely feel it a little bit more the next day. But it kind of is what it is. Whatever playing surface you have to play on, you have to play on it.

“I think last year we played on two grass fields. So the grass fields are getting eliminated, unfortunately. But there are also situations where there is bad grass. You can make those arguments (in favor of) both ways.”

Issue not just about Carolina Panthers

The Bank of America Stadium playing surface gained attention a few months ago, when Charlotte FC released in a statement that it did not plan to install natural grass for when all-time soccer great Lionel Messi came to town in October. Messi, who plays for Miami’s MLS team, has since stated that he doesn’t mind playing on turf.

Bank of America Stadium has had natural grass imported a few times in the past two years. Among those times include when Charlotte FC played Chelsea in July 2022 and when the Gold Cup came to the stadium this past summer.

Bank of America Stadium will host a MexTour match on October 14 between the Mexican men’s national team and Ghana. That contest will be played on turf.

The certainty? The issue doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon.

”Hopefully they blow it up, shout it out loud, everybody put it on Twitter, social media, make a stand, you know what I mean?” Thompson said of the messaging. “I tried to do my part last year. ... So I’m going to let the people who are supposed to handle it, handle it.”