Josh Allen Leads The Charge As Multiple NFL Players Push For All-Grass Fields

For Josh Allen , the grass is most definitely greener across the street.

As the Buffalo Bills moved closer to their first regular-season game Thursday in their new Highmark Stadium, the quarterback looked forward to not having to deal with the added wear and tear his body previously experienced playing on the artificial turf of the team’s now-demolished old facility.

"I’ve gotten numerous, numerous burns on my legs from artificial turf, to the point I can’t sleep at night because it’s bubbling over.

It’s very painful," Allen said, noting he still feels it after the Bills practice on the turf inside their fieldhouse.

"If I could snap my fingers and make every field grass, that’s what I would do for sure." The new Bills stadium and Allen’s comments reflect an increasingly heated debate in the league over whether teams should play on artificial turf or natural grass.

It follows a World Cup in which tournament organizers mandated converting seven NFL stadiums from turf to grass, only to switch back to artificial surfaces for the pro football season.

NFL players and their union overwhelmingly favor natural grass and are perplexed about why the league’s billionaire owners can’t do what FIFA did for the World Cup.

"It’s a little bizarre, but what can you expect?" 49ers defensive lineman Nick Bosa said.

As with most debates, it’s about money.

Though the NFL does not provide cost figures, it's widely accepted that artificial turf is much more affordable than grass, which requires year-round maintenance and constant resodding.

NFL grass fields generally have a lifespan of about seven events.

Artificial fields also require some maintenance to replace infill, and generally have a lifespan of between three to seven years.

That still doesn't square with players, even as the NFL continues trending toward artificial surfaces.

"Natural grass isn’t out of reach.