NFL Players Association Report Card: Players prefer natural grass over artificial turf

Results from the recently released 2025/2026 NFL Players Association Report Card, a survey where players weigh in on conditions in and out of the locker room, showed an overwhelming preference for natural grass over artificial turf. Ten of the 12 worst-performing fields in the survey were plastic grass surfaces. 

Conversely, the top three home fields with an A rating were all natural grass — and two of those three fields are grassed with Tahoma 31 Bermuda. In fact, half of all NFL natural grass stadium fields are Tahoma 31 surfaces. 

Developed by the turfgrass experts at Oklahoma State University, Tahoma 31 pushes the geographic boundaries of bermudagrass into the northernmost reaches of the Transition Zone. Highly cold-tolerant, the name “Tahoma” comes from the Native American word that means “frozen water.”

Of the 13 NFL teams playing on natural grass, seven had Tahoma 31 on their home stadium field for the 2025-2026 season. In addition, the Kansas City Chiefs have Tahoma 31 at their practice facility, but not yet in the stadium. 

Here’s a breakdown of the Tahoma 31 NFL player preference rankings: 

• A: Philadelphia Eagles and Baltimore Ravens 
• A-: San Francisco 49rs. This past season marked the team’s inaugural season with the grass. 
• B+:  Jacksonville Jaguars, Washington Commanders 
• B-: Cleveland Browns 
• C : Chicago Bears