'Turf Wars!' Cowboys Dak Prescott & Micah Parsons Join Grass Debate

Dallas Cowboys team leaders Dak Prescott and Micah Parsons have differing views when it comes to the NFL grass vs. turf debate.

FRISCO - In the wake of New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers' season-ending injury on "Monday Night Football" in Week 1, the argument against artificial turf is again moving to the fore, with players campaigning for the relative safety of playing on natural grass.

And the Dallas Cowboys have joined the debate, with four of their highest-profile leaders speaking out.

"Growing up, I never said, 'We have rocks on the field, am I not going to play?'" said Micah Parsons. "Honestly, it is what it is. I'm going out there getting paid to do a job. I'm not worried about the conditions of the field. It could be raining, it could be snowing. You're getting paid to do a job and perform. If something happens to me, it's supposed to happen.''

Quarterback Dak Prescott, meanwhile, suggested that his season-ending fractured ankle in Week 5 of the 2020 season might've been a byproduct of playing on the AT&T Stadium turf, said he is a "100-percent grass guy'' while pushing for the idea of the standardization of natural grass across the league.

"Yeah, I'm 100-percent a grass guy," Dak said. "My injury plays a huge part in that. ... I know how physical the game is, how guys are getting tackled. It's a whole lot safer, in my opinion, on grass than it is turf."

CeeDee Lamb not only stated his support for grass fields, but in a sense called on Cowboys owner Jerry Jones to initiate a change.

"That's it. Grass,'' Lamb said, "(but) I can't tell Jerry nothing. We need grass, it's that simple. ... That grass feels better on us."

When Prescott was informed of Micah's opinion - which included the 24-year-old defensive star saying he's "play on concrete'' if necessary, Dak quipped, "He's young.''

But to many players, the league's unwillingness to spend the money to upgrade their safety has gotten old. We will make the point here that while new NFL Players' Association executive director Lloyd Howell is urging all NFL venues to make the switch to grass fields. ... that's not enough.

The players have a union. Howell is the executive director of the union. Why do the players have to "beg'' or "urge''?

Said Prescott: "This is a billion-dollar business and you want the best product on the field every time. So take the weather, take all that stuff out of it and let's see who is better."

The Cowboys practice facility at The Star features two full-sized fields. One features artificial turf, the other grass. Dallas coach Mike McCarthy alluded to that fact when he was asked for his opinion on the debate.

"We practice on the grass every single day,'' McCarthy said, with plenty of clarity.