Saquon Barkley sees 'no reason why' NFL must keep turf fields after FIFA World Cup required grass surfaces

Now that the World Cup has travel and gone, NFL players whitethorn beryllium much vocal present than ever astir their penchant to play connected grass.

That's mostly successful portion due to the fact that retired of the 11 World Cup venues successful the United States, 7 of them were NFL stadiums that usage artificial turf — but FIFA regulations necessitate a writer playing surface.

The NFLPA has, not truthful subtly, joked astir rolling retired the "green carpet" for shot players this summer, and much recently, players started a societal media question saying that their information is "#WorthTheCost."

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Saquon Barkley #26 of the Philadelphia Eagles runs the shot against the New York Giants astatine Lincoln Financial Field connected Oct. 26, 2025, successful Philadelphia. (Getty Images)

But players, including Saquon Barkley, consciousness that a precedent has been set.

"I deliberation it’s going to beryllium hard for them to reason against that due to the fact that if you’re capable to bash it for the World Cup, it doesn’t truly marque sense," Barkley told Fox News Digital successful a caller interview.

Barkley did admit that helium is "not arsenic educated connected it arsenic I should be" and wants to bash immoderate much digging connected the wounded probe betwixt writer and turf, but helium knows his ain idiosyncratic preference.

"I bash similar grass. I deliberation the bulk of players similar grass. And I volition accidental this - if the numbers amusement that playing connected writer versus turf is amended for us, past I deliberation that’s much than enough," Barkley said.

Workers instal the transportation astatine New York New Jersey Stadium up of the 2026 FIFA World Cup successful East Rutherford, New Jersey, connected May 7, 2026. (Charly Triballeau/AFP)

FORMER NFL STAR SAYS HE 'WOULD DEFINITELY BE' FRUSTRATED WITH NFL LETTING FIFA BRING GRASS TO TURF FIELDS

"There’s nary crushed why, if you’re capable to bash it for the World Cup, and if that’s what we’re asking for arsenic players, we can’t bash it. I cognize that’s however players feel. I emotion playing connected grass... Even erstwhile you’re practicing connected turf, we hatred it. We don’t similar it. I’ve got to amended myself much connected this topic. But if the numbers talk to what I judge they will, past determination should beryllium nary crushed wherefore we shouldn’t."

Ironically, Barkley's superior injuries person travel connected grass, including a torn ACL successful Chicago successful 2020, which helium admitted enactment him successful a "sticky situation, but there’s a batch of worldly you conscionable can’t control." His 2,000-yard run came successful his archetypal play with the Philadelphia Eagles, which plays its location games connected grass.

Half the league’s stadiums usage turf, contempt NFLPA Executive Director Lloyd Howell saying that 92% of the league’s players similar grass. The communal speculation, though, is that turf is cheaper to usage and easier to support than grass, considering the stadiums big plentifulness much events year-round.

It was announced precocious past twelvemonth that each NFL squad volition beryllium provided with "a room of approved and accredited NFL fields" earlier the 2026 play begins. Any caller tract volition instantly person to conscionable those standards, and each teams volition person 2 years to execute them.

Both writer and synthetic turf fields volition beryllium taxable to the caller standards, but the NFL has nary plans to necessitate earthy writer fields.

Saquon Barkley of the Philadelphia Eagles takes the tract anterior to the NFC Wild Card playoff crippled against the San Francisco 49ers astatine Lincoln Financial Field connected Jan. 11, 2026, successful Philadelphia. (Getty Images)

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The league’s main aesculapian officer, Dr. Allen Sills, said determination are nary "statistically important differences" successful lower-extremity injuries oregon concussions that tin beryllium attributed to the benignant of playing aboveground oregon a circumstantial surface. That is contempt wide preferences by players for writer fields and complaints astir surfaces specified arsenic the 1 astatine MetLife Stadium, wherever the New York Giants and Jets play and wherever the World Cup last was held.

Fox News' Chantz Martin contributed to this report.

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