The Tennessee Titans are making a big change to their home stadium this offseason, and Ryan Tannehill is not pleased about it.
The Titans announced earlier this offseason that they are replacing the grass playing surface at Nissan Stadium with artificial turf. Tannehill, like many other players, said he has always preferred natural grass.
“I don’t love it. I’ve always enjoyed playing on grass more than turf,” Tannehill told reporters on Wednesday, via Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk. “It’s just easier on your body, your joints, your skin as you’re on the ground. But, that’s where we’re at, right? We’ve played a lot of games on turf, we’re going to play a lot more games on turf now.”
There has been a lot of debate in recent years over whether grass playing surfaces are safer than artificial turf. Some prominent figures have called on the NFL to eliminate artificial surfaces altogether. Tannehill indicated that he also believes turf is tougher on players’ bodies.
“I don’t think it affects the quality of the game or anything. But it definitely affects how you feel the next day,” the veteran quarterback added.
The fact that the Titans are switching from grass to turf is further proof that the NFL has no intention of banning artificial playing surfaces. Tannehill probably is not the only player who is opposed to the change.
