NFL players weigh-in on request for safer playing fields
On Saturday, NFLPA president J.C. Tretter published a letter calling for changes to playing surfaces throughout the NFL in the name of player safety.
Tretter outlined three requests from the NFLPA, including replacing and banning slit film turf, removing obvious flaws or abnormalities on fields, and clearing excess people and equipment on the sidelines.
The NFLPA's primary focus is on slit film turf, which Tretter says causes a higher rate of lower-body and non-contact injuries. On Saturday, several players weighed on the turf and called for change.
Others, like Green Bay Packers wideout Allen Lazard and San Francisco 49ers edge rusher Nick Bosa, called out the NFL for not caring about players' health.
This week on the New Heights podcast, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce said he "hates" playing on turf.
"I count every single game preseason how many games I have on turf, just so I can mentally prepare," Kelce said. "I'd rather practice in sleet, snow, thunderstorm with a chance of getting struck by lightning than run inside on the turf."
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