NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell breaks silence on Turf vs Grass field debates after Aaron Rodgers’ season-ending injury

The NFL debate of whether turf or grass is better and safer for athletes is making headlines once again. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers' season-ending Achilles injury this past week happened at MetLife Stadium.

MetLife Stadium did a complete renovation of the turf this offseason. It was done due to the number of injuries players have endured while playing at the stadium the past few seasons.

Aaron Rodgers was diagnosed with a torn Achilles that ended his season just four plays in. This has once again brought up the debate of whether stadiums should have real grass or turf. On Wednesday morning, Commissioner Roger Goodell addressed the debate.

He said:

"You have other players who like playing on the turf field, because it's faster. So you've got mixed opinions. What we want to go on is science, we want to go on what's the best from an injury standpoint."

"That's how we make decisions, not because I see an injury that I don't like. Ultimately, I want our experts to come back and give it to us."

As of right now, it appears that Roger Goodell isn't ready to make a decision. He said he will rely on the experts that he consults with. They will look at the situation as a whole and not just one injury in particular.

NFLPA calls for all NFL stadiums to make switch to grass

The National Football League's players union has seen enough of turf playing surfaces. NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell released a statement on Wednesday morning calling for a change. Howell said while it would be an expensive transition to real grass, it's worth it in the end.

Howell said that players from across the league have expressed their desire for the change. Howell also noted that stadiums with turf are quick to change to real grass when hosting soccer games. Adding that if the stadium can do so for visiting soccer clubs, the same can be done for NFL players.

Turf fields were initially used for stadiums that had roofs. As it was easier than trying to maintain real grass without rain and sun. However, in recent years, stadiums with domes have come up with a strategy to still have real grass. The Las Vegas Raiders' Allegiant Stadium has a mechanism that rolls the real grass into the stadium each week.

Howell statement that he has spoken to players about the switch conflicts with what Roger Goodell stated. The commissioner has said that players have told him they like the turf because it allows them to run faster. This debate will clearly continue this season and will be interesting to see what the league does moving forward for player safety.