Packers, Bakhtiari weigh in on turf debate

GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) - Aaron Rodgers’ torn Achilles is the biggest story in the NFL. Including in the locker room he called home for 18 years.

“Sucks for that to happen to him in the first series. I feel for him. I know he’s going to bounce back and do his thing in recovery, and come back stronger,” said Packers quarterback Jordan Love.

Rodgers’ injury once again re-igniting a debate around the league as players push for grass instead of turf.

“You have more risk of injuries playing on turf. As a college kid, yes you would recommend it, high school, but grass is a huge recommendation,” said wide receiver Romeo Doubs.

In all, there are 30 stadiums in the NFL, with teams in New York and Los Angles sharing. Exactly half of them, 15, have turf fields. Including Metlife Stadium, home of the New York Jets, where Rodgers suffered his injury on Monday.

Rodgers’ former blindside protector David Bakhtiari was quick to point to the turf as a potential cause for the quarterback’s injury.

“I think on grass, you could have had a different outcome, could. You can’t change anything else in that situation other than the surface and that’s the one thing that we know can add to injuries,” said David Bakhtiari.

Bakhtiari has long been an advocate for teams to make the switch from turf to natural grass. This after he suffered a torn ACL during practice inside the Don Hutson Center, which is a turf field, on New Years Eve 2020.

On Wednesday, the Players Union also released a statement for NFL stadiums to make the switch.

Many of these stadiums are home to more than just NFL games, though. Hosting events like concerts and other professional sports franchises. Including Atlanta, who will host the Packers on Sunday, but also an MLS game featuring Lionel Messi less than 24 hours earlier.

“I totally get it. If I were a businessman I’d love to put a carpet out there, let people run around and then throw a stage on their the next day and have a concert. Then have somebody come and lightly groom it. Anyone that has a difference I’m like, ok go put on pads and try to play a football game with us on grass. You see how you feel anyways from that, and now wait a week and go play game on turf. Then you tell me the difference,” said Bakhtiari.

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