NFL Players, Including Caleb Williams, Urge League to Ditch Turf After FIFA World Cup’s Success on Grass Fields

NFL Players, Including Caleb Williams, Urge League to Ditch Turf After FIFA World Cup’s Success on Grass Fields

Caleb Williams (Image via IMAGO)

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams made his position clear on one of the NFL’s biggest safety debates. Williams called on NFL owners to take a page from FIFA and play on grass rather than artificial turf.

Ahead of the 2026 soccer World Cup, NFL stadiums installed specially developed grass to adhere to FIFA’s demands. However, most of the venues have reverted to artificial turf, except for a couple. The New Jersey Stadium, where the World Cup final is scheduled to take place.

During the one-month extravaganza that stretched across three countries, only a handful of players suffered serious injuries. Most of the injuries were caused by bad tackles, not the playing surface.

Artificial turf has a poor reputation. Sure, it’s great for the speed of football, but more often than not, players suffer a freak injury that cuts down on their playing time.

Almost half of the NFL stadiums don’t feature grass—like the Jets/Giants stadium. And football players have paid the price for it. The demand to play on natural grass has grown lately, with star players like George Kittle voicing their opinions. The latest name to make their stand known is Bears quarterback Caleb Williams.

Why can’t we have this too?

Williams posted a photo on social media with the #WorthTheCost hashtag on July 17

And Williams isn’t the only one who shares the same view. Washington Commanders offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil echoed the same.

If stadiums can make grass work for the World Cup, they can make it work for NFL players. We’re #WorthTheCost.

Tunsil wrote

The NFLPA (NFL Players Association) collected several tweets and posted a compilation with the hashtag #WorthTheCost.

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Former NFL quarterback shares his honest thoughts on Caleb Williams

Williams led the Bears to their first NFC North crown since 2018 and their first playoff appearance since 2020. However, the Bears were defeated in their first hurdle on both occasions.

NFL Players, Including Caleb Williams, Urge League to Ditch Turf After FIFA World Cup's Success on Grass Fields
Caleb Williams (Image via IMAGO)

That changed last year. In the wildcard round, the Bears defeated the Green Bay Packers to end their playoff drought. Williams ‘ garbage-time touchdown saved the day. Williams nearly had a similar impact in the divisional playoff game. However, they lost by three points.

Despite the disappointment, Williams’ improvement went unnoticed.

He was the most improved quarterback in the NFL last year. His jump from Year 1 to Year 2 was incredible. The job that Ben Johnson did with him is remarkable, both for the quarterback and for the coach. I thought they were excellent.

Retired NFL quarterback Tim Hasselbeck explained on the Herd with Colin Cowherd

In his rookie season, Williams went 5-12 and had 3541 yards, 20 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. In 2025, he won 11 games and also recorded his first playoff victory.

Williams missed out on his first Pro Bowl selection, but he still received a rare privilege. EA picked the 24-year-old as the cover athlete for Madden 27.

Caleb Williams gets compared to Patrick Mahomes

Last week, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler released his annual top 10 NFL quarterback list after taking the votes from NFL coaches, executives and scouts. Williams ranked 10th, his highest rank being No. 6 on one ballot.  

A veteran defensive coach compared Williams to three-time Super Bowl champion Patrick Mahomes.

[Williams] has some of those ‘what is he doing?’ plays. But he also makes plays only he and Mahomes can make. He] can throw from any angle, deceptively fast when forced to scramble and he’s got the ‘it’ factor in crunch time.

Williams was ranked above far more accomplished quarterbacks like reigning Super Bowl champion Sam Darnold, 2024-25 Super Bowl winner Jalen Hurts, and 49ers’ Brock Purdy.

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