Green Bay Packers linebacker Rashan Gary suffered a season-ending injury on Sunday, and one of his teammates believes the NFL is not doing enough to prevent things like that from happening.
Gary left Sunday’s loss to the Detroit Lions with a knee injury. Tests have since revealed that he suffered a torn ACL, according to multiple reports. On Monday, Packers linebacker De’Vondre Campbell took to Twitter to rip the NFL for not investing in more grass fields.
“This is two weeks in a row we’ve had players get injured on turf fields. I think it’s time y’all take some of the money y’all make off us and invest in grass fields for every team around the league. The turf is literally like concrete it has no give when you plant
@NFL,” Campbell wrote.
Gary injured his right knee on a non-contact play where he planted his right leg into the Ford Field turf to try and change directions. He immediately grabbed at that knee.
Several players have suffered significant non-contact injuries while playing on artificial turf this season. Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll recently called on the NFL to look into whether having only natural grass fields would be safer for players. The NFL Players Association has also pressured the league to do away with artificial turf.
Gary, a first-round pick in 2019, had been one of Green Bay’s best players this season. He had six sacks through eight-plus games and was on pace to break his career high of 9.5 sacks, which he accomplished last year. The 3-6 Packers are fading from playoff contention, and the loss of Gary will only make things worse for them.
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