The Detroit Lions are reportedly scheduled to get a new field put in at Ford Field. On November 12, the NFL released the following statement in regard to “slit-film surfaces” in NFL stadiums. “As the NFLPA knows from the meeting of our Joint Field Surface Safety & Performance Committee earlier this month, there was no difference between the number of injuries on synthetic surfaces versus grass,” Jeff Miller, the NFL’s executive vice president of communications, public affairs and policy, said in a statement. “While slit-film surfaces, one type of synthetic material, have 2-3 more injuries per year, most of them are ankle sprains — a low-burden injury — whereas slit film also sees a lower rate of fewer high-burden ACL injuries compared to other synthetic fields. As a result, the league and NFLPA’s joint experts did not recommend any changes to surfaces at the meeting but agreed more study is needed.”
When will the Detroit Lions get their new field?
According to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, the Detroit Lions are currently scheduled to get a new synthetic field in either 2024 or 2025.
NFLPA president JC Tretter, in a Nov. 12 post on the NFLPA website, called for the league to immediately replace the playing surface at the six stadiums that use slit-film turf and ban it from future use in NFL stadiums.
Ford Field, MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, the Superdome in New Orleans, Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis and Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati also use the surface.
Ford Field last replaced its turf in 2019 and is scheduled to get a new synthetic field in 2024 or 2025.
Several Detroit Lions players said they would love for all NFL stadiums to have natural grass, though they realize that is not likely to happen. Click here to see what some of those players, including Frank Ragnow and Jason Cabinda, had to say.
