Jason Kelce gives impassioned speech after Travis' ankle injury: 'We need to get rid of turf altogether'
Kansas City Chiefs fans held their breath Sunday when Travis Kelce went down after a non-contact slip on turf during a road win over the Minnesota Vikings. His big brother, Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce, didn't mince words when it came to calling on the NFL to go back to grass.
Although Travis Kelce was able to come back and score a touchdown in the second half, Jason couldn't help but get riled up when the siblings discussed the injury on the "New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce" podcast.
He started off calm, asking Travis whether his ankle rolled or got caught in the Vikings' artificial grass.
"If you watch the slow motion, my ankle kind of slips for a couple of inches and then it finally grabs on the turf. That's been the knock [on turf among players], is that when you do slip, you don't just slip right through the grass," Travis answered.
"When it grabs, you're just not ready for it," the brothers said in conjunction.
Jason cited ESPN's Kevin Seifert as a segue into a passionate speech about turf. Travis slipped at U.S. Bank Stadium, which has slit film turf, Seifert noted:
Worth repeating: U.S. Bank Stadium has slit film turf, which NFL/NFLPA data shows has had a higher rate of non-contact lower extremity injuries than other types of turf. The surface here is slated to be replaced after this season. https://t.co/bUUSM0aRq4
— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) October 8, 2023
But Jason and Travis agreed that slit film, mono-filament and combination turf all feel equally unstable.
"You don't really get that natural [feeling], like you're digging into the ground," Travis noted.
In his impassioned plea to the NFL, Jason emphasized that changing to other types of turf isn't the solution:
"We need to get rid of turf altogether" he said. "Just stop it. We went through this with Astroturf back in the day; it ruined guys' careers. Now, we're seeing the same thing with this turf and it's only going to continue to happen. Just go back to the grass."
Astroturf became prominent in the NFL in the 1970s, '80s and '90s because it was cheaper than natural grass and easier to transition in multi-use stadiums. Because the surface was so hard underneath, it caused a multitude of severe injuries.
Jason went as far as proactively rebutting the argument about indoor stadiums and natural grass, suggesting UV lights.
"There's freakin' pot farms right down the street that are growing mountains of f***ing pot," he added. "We can grow grass indoors."
It's time to get rid of ALL TYPES of turf!!
NEW EPISODE PREMIERES NOW: https://t.co/xCTGbzdyd8@JasonKelce @tkelce @Experian_US pic.twitter.com/rH4OHqmWLG— New Heights (@newheightshow) October 11, 2023
Toward the end of the address, Jason acknowledged his upcoming Sunday matchup with the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. "That's partly why I'm upset as well," he said.
Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers sustained a season-ending left Achilles tear on the turf at MetLife Stadium on Sept. 11. His injury led NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell to call on NFL team owners to convert all 30 stadiums to grass, according to a report from ESPN. (The Giants and Jets share MetLife Stadium, and Rams and Chargers share SoFi Stadium.)
Currently, 15 stadiums feature various forms of grass and 15 use different types of synthetic turf. NFLPA president JC Tretter told ESPN "it shouldn't be this hard" to change that reality with grass as the "pretty obvious" solution for player safety.
"We feel the data has proven our point," Tretter told ESPN. "We feel the player opinion is consistent. There are, really, only two bodies of people that are disagreeing at this point with us: People who manufacture turf, and the NFL. And that's a frustrating spot to be in."
Travis Kelce is more popular than ever amid his public connection to Taylor Swift. The global pop star's fan base is quite powerful, leading some NFL fans to hope the music star's fanatics will direct their attention to eradicating turf.
If anyone can do it, "Swifties" probably can.
