George Kittle Watched the World Cup Roll In Grass. Now He Wants the NFL to Keep It.

George Kittle sees green grass at Levi’s Stadium and he’s done pretending the NFL can’t do the same thing every Sunday.

The 49ers tight end watched FIFA install a real grass field for World Cup matches at his home stadium and basically called the league out. If they can do it for soccer, he’s asking, why not for the guys who actually play there year-round?

“We’ve made it clear that we prefer grass fields,” Kittle said, speaking to reporters after the stadium conversion became obvious. “We know it’s better on our bodies. And clearly, we know it’s possible based on everything that went into putting down grass fields for the World Cup in each stadium.”

This isn’t new. Players have been complaining about turf for years. It’s harder on joints, generates more heat, and — according to multiple studies — leads to higher rates of non-contact lower-body injuries. But the league has mostly shrugged. Turf is cheaper, easier to maintain, and lets stadiums host concerts and monster truck rallies on three days’ notice.

But the World Cup forced the NFL’s hand. FIFA requires grass for its showcase event, and that meant every stadium in the rotation — including Levi’s — had to rip up its synthetic surface and lay down the real stuff. Kittle watched it happen. And he’s not planning to unsee it.

“At this point, it comes down to the NFL making it a priority and choosing to invest in us as players, because our bodies are our business, which they get to capitalize on,” Kittle said. He’s got company. Andrew Whitworth, Nick Bosa, Odell Beckham Jr., Aaron Rodgers, Joe Burrow, and Reggie Bush have all pushed the league to go all-grass. The NFL Players Association backs them publicly. The league has not changed its policy.

And there’s the rub. After the World Cup ends, multiple stadiums are expected to roll the grass back up and reinstall turf. That’s the part that’s got Kittle hot. He’s not asking for something impossible. The league just proved it can do this. It’s a matter of whether they’ll pay for it.

The NFL has not responded to Kittle’s comments. But the clock is ticking. The World Cup leaves town in a few weeks. After that, the grass at Levi’s could be gone. And so could the league’s excuse.