Back to the Top News Newsfeed

From AstroTurf to 'frankenturf': Inside the NFL's behind-the-scenes battle to fix its turf problem

Odell Beckham Jr. was on his way to a redemptive Super Bowl LVI last February until a wrong step derailed his crowning night.

The Los Angeles Rams receiver’s plant foot got stuck in the SoFi Stadium turf as he twisted his body to try to snag a pass thrown just behind him.

To NFL players who had campaigned in vain to rid the sport of artificial turf, the sight of Beckham crumpling to the ground and clutching his knee was not only tragic but avoidable. They unleashed a barrage of tweets slamming the NFL for failing to prioritize player safety and for allowing artificial turf to claim another victim.