Why World Cup has 49ers’ George Kittle putting NFL owners on blast
George Kittle blasts NFL owners over artificial turf after World Cup proves natural grass can be installed in stadiums year-round.
The FIFA World Cup 2026 has taken over North America, filling NFL stadiums with soccer fans and natural grass playing surfaces, and San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle has seen enough to make a pointed argument that the league’s owners can no longer ignore.
Several World Cup matches are being played in NFL venues, including Levi’s Stadium, requiring stadiums that normally feature artificial turf to temporarily install natural grass to meet FIFA requirements. For Kittle, that temporary fix exposed a permanent problem.
“If you can put grass in MetLife and in SoFi, I think you could do that year-round if you really gave a s–t,” Kittle said during an appearance on the Pardon My Take podcast.
The All-Pro tight end didn’t stop there. He argued that player preference on the issue is overwhelming, estimating that roughly 90% of NFL players would choose natural grass over artificial turf if given the choice — a sentiment widely shared across locker rooms throughout the league.
Beyond personal preference, the argument carries serious weight from a player safety standpoint. Numerous studies and player testimonials have linked artificial turf to higher rates of non-contact injuries, particularly knee and ankle issues. Keeping stars like Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen healthy isn’t just good for the players, it’s good for business.
“Why not just spend a couple extra million dollars, which we know they all have, to just grass all the fields?” Kittle said. “It doesn’t seem that difficult.”
With the World Cup unintentionally proving that it can be done, NFL owners may have a much harder time explaining why it won’t be.