The debate over turf versus grass continues to divide opinions around the league, and former Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett made his stance clear regarding the playing surfaces. 

During his recent appearance on the Up and Adams show with Kay Adams on June 18, Garrett gave his take on the grass vs turf debate.

"Well, if you're asking me as a former player and a coach, I'd like to have grass in 32 stadiums - there's no question about that.”

Garrett has previously played as a backup quarterback in the NFL from 1989 to 2004, having played seven years with the Cowboys (1992-1999).

On the show, Garrett acknowledged the business realities and other structural challenges that come with changing the surface of the stadium to grass, citing the Cowboys' AT&T Stadium as an example.

“There's a business part of this, as we all know - they use AT&T Stadium for a ton of things," Garrett said. "And having grass complicates that. They play high school games there, they play college games there... And let's face it, it's a money-making operation, not only for AT&T Stadium, but for stadiums all across the NFL."

Garrett pointed to the changes made according to the standards of the FIFA World Cup, drawing comparisons to soccer players. He argued that if elite soccer players can insist on playing on natural grass, NFL players should be able to push for a similar case, given their importance to the league.

The NFLPA is also actively pushing for grass, backed by player surveys showing that over 90% of athletes heavily favor natural grass over synthetic alternatives.

According to the NFL's findings revealed in January by Chief Medical Officer Alan Sills, the overall injury rate of 0.43 on artificial turf was compared to 0.42 on grass.

The league pushed back on the debate, citing that the data showed no meaningful difference in injury rates between playing surfaces, according to Marca.com.

While Garrett firmly believes natural grass is the better option for player safety, not everyone within the Cowboys organization agrees with that view.

Jerry Jones Makes Feelings Clear On Turf Vs. Grass Debate

The Cowboys' owner, Jerry Jones, refused to back down in his stance, arguing that the economics of keeping the synthetic turf outweigh the benefits of grass surface installation.

"We have no belief that it's any safer to play on grass over turf," Jones said, per Joseph Hoyt of the Dallas Morning News. "The turf, actually, like many things, improved the economics of being able to play this game. And our players are the biggest benefactors of all."

Jones is ready to get back to the regular business of the field by bringing the turf back to the stadium as soon as the FIFA World Cup is over. The AT&T Stadium is set to host nine matches for the World Cup.

Many stadium engineers had advocated for hybrid systems. This is natural grass woven with synthetic fibers as a middle-ground solution currently used by several international venues, including Wembley Stadium.

However, Jones remains convinced that synthetic turf is a more practical solution. Meanwhile, players and coaches continue to advocate for natural grass,

Which do you prefer: grass or turf? Tell us in the comments.

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Written by

Archana Ramakrishnan

Edited by

Zaid Quraishi