49ers' George Kittle Calls for Grass Fields at NFL Stadiums amid 2026 World Cup Changes

With 11 NFL stadiums transforming their fields for the 2026 World Cup this summer, San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle has joined the chorus of players who wants the league to go use grass fields instead of turf.

In a statement released by the NFL Players Association on Kittle's behalf, the Niners star said the World Cup shows it's "possible" for every stadium to use grass because of the effort that went into making fields ready for the World Cup.

The home stadiums for the 49ers, Dallas Cowboys, Kansas City Chiefs, New York Giants and Jets, Los Angeles Rams, Houston Texans, Philadelphia Eagles, Seattle Seahawks and Miami Dolphins are all hosting multiple World Cup matches.

From that list, the 49ers, Chiefs, Dolphins and Eagles are the only teams that use grass surfaces for NFL games.

The NFLPA has previously cited data showing a higher rate of non-contact injuries on artificial surfaces and turf compared to grass, though the league has stated improvements in turf technology have made the issue less extreme.

Even with better artificial surfaces, players have decried the fact that stadiums were willing to implement grass for the World Cup despite their frequent calls to do so.

New York Giants offensive lineman Jermaine Eluemunor had this to say about the change:

"I'm going into year 10, and I can say wholeheartedly that grass feels way better than turf. With MetLife getting grass, obviously it's cool for FIFA and the World Cup. It's one of the biggest stages in the world but, at the same time, the NFL as a whole is one of the most profitable businesses in the world, and so you would think that us as players would have a say in the fields that we get to play on."

ESPN's Jordan Raanan noted some of the reasons some NFL stadiums favor an artificial surface include changing climates and agronomical challenges from grass, but also because a lot of them hold events other than football games that could "disrupt the growth and maintenance of the grass."

Even though NFL players have overwhelmingly expressed their preference for universal grass in all 30 home stadiums, it doesn't seem like they will get their wish any time soon.

The World Cup was able to get it installed in all 16 venues hosting matches this summer because FIFA has a rule mandating natural grass for all major events.