“We should play on natural grass.”
When asked if he has a preference for playing on an artificial surface versus natural grass, Los Angeles Rams star wide receiver Cooper Kupp didn’t hesitate.
“It’s not even close,” Kupp stated Thursday. “I know there are things going on in the league right now, and there are some issues. We certainly should be playing on grass. That’s all I’m going to say.”
The question regarding playing on the artificial surface came after Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf and Los Angeles Chargers cornerback J.C. Jackson left last Sunday’s game at SoFi Stadium with knee injuries, both on non-contact plays.
SoFi Stadium, where both the Rams and Chargers play, has an artificial playing surface. Fourteen of the NFL’s 30 stadiums employ an artificial surface.
Kupp was then asked if the artificial surface at SoFi Stadium was different, and quickly responded, “We should be on grass.”
On Wednesday, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll noted that the issue is something “we definitely need to look at very seriously in the offseason, again.”
“It’s been a discussion, before,” Carroll said. “We have to do what’s right, and we have to do what’s safest for the players, and we have to make those decisions. I would insist on that.”
In 2020, after San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan complained about the artificial surface at MetLife Stadium, NFL Players Association president JC Tretter called for all NFL teams to make the switch to natural grass to reduce the risk of injury.
SoFi Stadium, located in the Los Angeles suburb of Inglewood, will be the site of the Niners’ visit to the Rams next Sunday as part of Week 8 NFL activity.