Carolina Panthers running back Jonathon Brooks isn't alone in his quest for safer playing conditions, and he's got some heavyweight support. San Francisco 49ers' tight end George Kittle recently made waves by calling out the NFL on their use of turf fields. Kittle's message was clear: if FIFA can swap out turf for grass during the World Cup, why can't the NFL do the same for its players?
Brooks, who is no stranger to the challenges of recovery, echoed Kittle's sentiments on his Instagram account. Both Brooks and Kittle are currently on the mend from non-contact injuries sustained at Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field. Brooks' ACL tear in 2024 and Kittle's Achilles tear during last season's wild-card round highlight the risk players face.
Interestingly, while Philadelphia uses grass for NFL games, the same can't be said for Carolina and San Francisco. This has been a hot topic for the Panthers, with players having approached owner David Tepper about the turf at Bank of America Stadium as far back as 2022. Notably, the stadium did switch to grass for the Gold Cup matches in 2023, showing it's possible to make the change.
The numbers back up the players' concerns. According to the NFL Players Association, there's a 28-percent higher rate of non-contact lower extremity injuries on turf compared to grass. A recent NFLPA survey further revealed that players overwhelmingly prefer playing on natural grass.
For Brooks, this issue is personal. Two ACL tears have severely limited his playing time, restricting him to just three games over his first two seasons. His push for grass isn't just about comfort-it's about career longevity and safety for himself and his fellow players.
In Other News...
Panthers Camp Has Turned Bryce Youngs Backup Job Into A Real Fight
Training camp has turned the backup quarterback job behind Bryce Young into one of the more interesting spots on the Panthers roster, with three names in the mix and very different paths to this point. Kenny Pickett arrives as the former first-round pick and the most established of the group, while Haynes King is trying to turn camp reps into a real foothold after entering the league undrafted. Will Grier is back in the conversation too, giving Carolina a familiar face in a competition that now has at least a little intrigue.
Pickett still looks like the safest bet to handle the No. 2 role, but the Panthers have more going on than just that pecking order. Kings development gives the team a useful wild card, and Grier is hanging around as the long-shot option in a room that could get squeezed once roster decisions start tightening elsewhere. Even if the backup spot seems to have a clear front-runner, there is still enough movement here to keep the quarterback picture worth watching through the rest of camp. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Fans Wont Love What This Says About Monroe Freeling
Monroe Freeling arrived in Carolina with first-round expectations, but the early picture around the rookie tackle is more about patience than immediate impact. The Panthers have had him working at both tackle spots, giving him a chance to learn the full scope of the position as he settles in and adjusts to the speed of the pro game.
For now, the bigger takeaway is that Freeling looks like a long-term investment rather than a quick fix. Carolina sees him as a developmental piece who could grow into either tackle job down the line, especially with the current starters moving toward future contract decisions, but that also means fans hoping for an instant fix may need to wait. [Read more 🡒]
49ers May Have A Tough QB Decision Before The Deadline
The quarterback picture in San Francisco is crowded enough that a move before the deadline is easy to imagine, even with Brock Purdy entrenched and Mac Jones sitting in a murkier spot. Jones is entering the final year of his contract, and that alone makes him one of the more watchable names on the roster if the 49ers decide to listen and a team sees a chance to get him out of the building sooner rather than later.
For Carolina, the interest is obvious enough to keep in mind whenever the Panthers' quarterback conversation comes up. If they decide Bryce Young is not the long-term answer, Jones profiles as the kind of passer a club could try to build around instead of simply patching the position for a season, which is why this is the sort of situation worth tracking as the deadline gets closer. [Read more 🡒]