Caleb Williams is preparing for a pivotal third season with the Chicago Bears, but the former No. 1 overall pick has concerns that extend well beyond his own team.
Williams joined a growing group of NFL players Friday calling for more natural grass fields across the league. His message came after several NFL stadiums temporarily installed grass surfaces to host matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Bears quarterback shared a graphic on X asking a simple but pointed question: “Why Can’t We Have This Too?”
Williams included the hashtag “#WorthTheCost,” lending his support to a player-led movement pressing NFL owners to reconsider the widespread use of artificial turf.
Caleb Williams joins push for natural grass fields
Eleven NFL stadiums were selected to host World Cup matches, and seven venues replaced their artificial surfaces with natural grass to comply with tournament standards. Those stadiums are expected to return to artificial turf before the 2026 NFL season. That decision has renewed a familiar debate among players, owners and league officials.
#worththecost pic.twitter.com/UxVcFc4lr2
— Caleb Williams (@CALEBcsw) July 17, 2026
Williams clearly believes NFL players deserve the same consideration given to the world’s top soccer stars.
“Why Can’t We Have This Too?” the graphic read.
The NFL Players Association has repeatedly pushed for teams to use natural grass, arguing that player safety should be the priority. The World Cup’s ability to bring grass into several NFL venues only strengthened the players’ case that a change is possible when organizers are willing to absorb the cost.
Owners have resisted a league-wide conversion because natural grass can be more expensive and complicated to maintain, particularly inside multipurpose stadiums that also host concerts, soccer matches and other major events. Williams, however, does not face the artificial-turf issue during Bears home games. Soldier Field has used natural grass since 1988. His support shows this is not merely a complaint about his own playing conditions but a league-wide concern.
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Williams enters crucial third season with Bears
The message arrives as Williams prepares for his most anticipated NFL season yet. After a difficult rookie year, Williams made an enormous jump under head coach Ben Johnson in 2025. He helped Chicago finish 11-6, win its first NFC North championship since 2018 and earn its first playoff victory since the 2010 season.
Williams also set a Bears single-season record with 3,942 passing yards, threw 27 touchdown passes and led the NFL with seven game-winning drives. Now, the challenge is proving Chicago’s breakthrough was only the beginning.
The Bears enter the 2026 season with the league’s most difficult schedule based on their opponents’ combined record from last year. Williams will be expected to elevate the offense again and help Chicago move from an emerging contender to a legitimate Super Bowl threat. Before that journey begins, though, Williams is using his platform to amplify an issue that matters to players across the NFL.
The league demonstrated during the World Cup that grass could be installed at some of its biggest venues. Williams and his fellow players now want to know why those same accommodations cannot become permanent.
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