The announcement that the Miami Dolphins and Dallas Commanders will play an NFL game at the renovated Santiago Bernabeu Stadium has sparked a new wave in the eternal debate between natural grass and artificial turf within the league. The Real Madrid stadium's state-of-the-art pitch technology has exposed the stance of some NFL team owners, including influential Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. The spectacular system at the Bernabeu, which includes automated mowers, integrated irrigation, LED grow lights and an innovative underground greenhouse capable of storing the playing surface like a giant drawer, has reignited criticism from players, who, knowing the latest technology, want it in every NFL stadium and not just a few. Sixers mascot mocks Jaylen Brown's hairline and refuses to risk getting his black dye on him Real Madrid exposes the NFL with its remodeled stadium It was Chase Daniel, a former Chiefs quarterback, who expressed the widespread frustration of athletes on social media: "Zero excuses for all NFL teams not to have natural grass fields... it just costs more." The central argument is safety. Natural grass is softer, reduces friction and minimizes serious injuries that have become all too common on artificial surfaces, such as Odell Beckham Jr.'s Super Bowl injury or Dak Prescott's ankle at AT&T Stadium itself. https://twitter.com/USER_ID/status/1989853197494854037 The reality is that the debate between artificial and natural grass has always been there and not all NFL teams can afford that "luxury". The costs are very different and for that reason, it seems easier to pay less for the arrangement of the field than to prioritize quality or prevent injuries to players. Jerry Jones refuses to change The economic reality is that installing natural grass can cost up to $500,000 per surface, plus a million dollars annually in complex maintenance (replacements, lights, heating, personnel, etc.). Artificial grass, although it has a high initial cost, lasts up to five years with minimal maintenance, which translates into considerable long-term savings for homeowners. Jerry Jones, whose franchise is valued as the richest in the world, has been the standard-bearer of this resistance, stating that "he will never change the artificial field of AT&T Stadium", so if players and fans thought that seeing other teams at the Bernabeu could generate greater ambition, they were very wrong.
