A former NFL running back Reggie Bush is calling out the league and its owners for not providing safe playing surfaces that he says protect players’ safety.
In a story written by Matthew Roberson for GQ, Bush said he feels NFL owners are not spending enough on playing fields, leading to an increase in injuries.
“You see guys not even get touched suffer torn ACLs,” Bush told Roberson. “Odell Beckham Jr. in the Super Bowl tore his ACL and pretty much ended his career. He hasn’t really recovered since, but it’s all from turf. Unfortunately, NFL owners still believe that turf is the cheapest, most cost-efficient way in a league that annualizes billions every year. It’s not adding up to me. It’s a repetitive cycle, and it’s going to continue. It’s unfortunate. It will continue until the players decide to stand up and say, ‘Listen, we don’t want to play on turf anymore.’ The thing is, all players hate it.”
Venues such as MetLife Stadium have come under fire for their use of turf and the injuries that have occurred there. Grass will be used for the 2026 World Cup matches being held there, and Giants owner John Mara and Jets owner Woody Johnson have previously discussed the possibility of having grass at the stadium for NFL games at least once a week.
Bush added that if given the chance to make a change, he would never allow a game to be played on turf again. Bush has firsthand knowledge about playing on turf. In his 11 NFL seasons, eight were on turf fields, including his first five seasons in the league with the New Orleans Saints.
To illustrate his point on the need for change, Bush recalled a time when his 9-year-old son was playing on a turf field. When his son went to the ground after being pushed, he hit his head and was hurt on the play. Bush said that if he had fallen on grass, he would not have been hurt as badly.
“Imagine grown men who weigh 200-300 pounds playing this ultra-violent game on the worst turf. Players are scared at the end of the day. Whatever the players want, they can get. They hold the ultimate power, which is to just sit out. Unfortunately, that is the only way they will be able to have leverage in their negotiations with the Players Association versus the NFL and their collective bargaining agreements. We don’t have guaranteed contracts in the NFL, and we’re put on the worst surface. You’re talking about a league where I can sign you for five years, $100 million. If something happens halfway into year one, and I don’t like you, I can cut you. That’s a nightmare for most people.”
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Chris Franklin may be reached at cfranklin@njadvancemedia.com.