Cooper Kupp of the Rams is one of several players who have voiced their disapproval of the NFL’s use of artificial turf.
In five days, the Los Angeles Rams will play their second home game at SoFi Stadium. While supporters may be thrilled to watch their team play in person once more, one player in particular has expressed his displeasure with the circumstances for a particular reason. Cooper Kupp, a seasoned wide receiver, expressed his displeasure on Tuesday for having to play on turf twice in such a short amount of time. After playing the Washington Commanders at SoFi on Sunday, the Rams will have to get ready for their home game against the New Orleans Saints on Thursday night.
In response to a question about getting ready for two artificial turf games in less than a week, Kupp stated:
“As you know, I dislike it.” Kupp went on, “I’m not a fan of turf in general, and it’s obviously difficult to play back-to-back on a short week. Yet things are as they are. I’m positive that people are aware of it. You know, if there is going to be change, it’s not because people are unaware of it. Thus, things are as they are. It’s the same with playing on Thursday night, as I mentioned. Everyone must undertake it. It’s a necessary part of the game that everyone must complete on turf, so you have to deal with it.”
According to Kupp, the NFL has experienced a high number of lower limb injuries this season, particularly among players who play on turf. Aaron Rodgers, the quarterback, is the most well-known player to have suffered an Achille’s tendon tear on the famed turf of MetLife Stadium. The NFLPA claims that fresh injury data demonstrates that grass is “much safer” than turf.
In an essay published on the NFLPA website earlier in the offseason, Union president J.C. Tretter discussed the matter as follows:
“Instead of following the long-term data (which is clear on this issue), listening to players and making the game safer,” Tretter wrote, “the NFL used an outlier year to engage in a PR campaign to convince everyone that the problem doesn’t actually exist.” He continued “In short, last year, the gap — much like the NFL’s credibility with players on this issue — was as wide as it has ever been,” Tretter continued, “proving that (as the NFLPA suspected) 2021 was in fact an outlier. Now, 10 of the previous 11 years show the same exact thing — grass is a significantly safer surface than turf.”
Given that the wide receiver has struggled with recurring hamstring injuries since 2022 and also experienced an ACL tear in 2018, Kupp’s concerns seem warranted. Even though the ACL occurred at the Coliseum, not SoFi, it is still advisable to consider the opinions of players who have sustained serious knee injuries when discussing the type of playing surface they are putting their bodies through.
The Rams were thought to be in the process of rebuilding, but if the season ended today, they would still be in the playoffs. As such, they will need to avoid any injuries in order to maintain their surprising but impressive run this season.
They have a chance to get some breathing room in a tight NFC wild card race by taking down the New Orleans Saints Thursday.