After using the most players in consecutive seasons in the entire league due to an increased wave of injuries, the Tennessee Titans announced Tuesday that they will install a new playing surface for their home field.
Nissan Stadium is changing from the grass, which has been the surface since its opening in 1999, to a new synthetic turf.
The Titans used 91 players in 2021, the most in a strike-free season, and Nissan Stadium’s playing surface has proven to be one of the most damaging to players in recent years: From 2018 to 2021, the stadium had lower body taller. injuries than every single monofilament synthetic turf in the league.
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A general view of a Tennessee Titans helmet before the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Nissan Stadium on September 25, 2022 in Nashville, Tennessee.
(Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
One of the reasons for this is because Nashville is in a transitional climate zone, which makes it much more difficult to provide a consistent, long-lasting turf surface, no matter how often it has been replaced and re-twisted. lay the grass.
«There is nothing more important than the health and safety of our players,» head coach Mike Vrabel said. «We had a lot of problems after a certain part of the season. It’s hard to grow grass. It gets slippery. We put in new grass, we try to put in new grass and it’s slippery, you see guys slipping. Those are real things I’ve witnessed during my time here. Our turf surface is not up to par with some of the other turf surfaces (in the entire NFL). At the beginning of the year, summer, training camp, beginning of the season, I can see that it’s very consistent. But as the season progresses and the weather changes, there is a noticeable difference in course performance.»
A general view of the Tennessee Titans flags during the game between the New Orleans Saints and the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium on November 14, 2021 in Nashville, Tennessee.
(Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
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The new turf is the same surface used at the team’s practice facility, which players have responded to positively.
“We added this product inside the bubble and…the response has been very positive, very favorable to that surface to the new technology that keeps coming out,” Vrabel said. «Just to witness our practices inside and how they feel and how they respond to that product… We’re excited to be able to add this product to our stadium.»
«I think our outfield team is among the best in the National Football League,» said team executive director Burke Nihill. «Ultimately there is a limit to how much you can do for a natural grass surface in this part of the country. This turf is state of the art and will be a huge improvement in terms of consistency and performance.»
General view as Ryan Tannehill #17 hands off the ball to Derrick Henry #22 of the Tennessee Titans during the second quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs at Nissan Stadium on November 10, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. Tennessee defeats Kansas City 35-32.
(Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)
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The Titans started 7-3, but lost their last seven games to miss the playoffs, including the last against the Jacksonville Jaguars, who clinched the AFC South with the win.
Associated Press contributed to this report.