If you’re one of those people who feel like the Packers suffer more torn ACLs than other NFL teams, it turns out you’re right. Well, sort of.
According to a tweet from ACL Recovery Club, Green Bay has had the sixth most ACL tears since 2013, a 10-year stretch:
Here is the list of every torn ACL documented in the NFL by team since 2013 👇 pic.twitter.com/AXem1d9sqb
— ACL Recovery Club (@ACLrecoveryCLUB) February 21, 2023
Interestingly enough, all six teams ahead of the Packers play on grass fields. This may come as a surprise to players who have pushed for the league to require grass in all NFL stadiums.
When Green Bay’s top edge rusher Rashan Gary tore his ACL last season, it occurred on the slit turf at Ford Field. Gary’s injury provoked a strong reaction from David Bakhtiari, who also exited the same game because the field conditions aggravated his surgically repaired knee.
A week after the game, Bakhtiari posted a series of tweets voicing his frustration with the NFL for allowing teams to continue to have slit turf.
By allowing teams to continue using slit film turf, about 10 more players will go down with a completely avoidable, non-contact injury throughout the rest of this season. To know something is unsafe and not change it is unacceptable. #SaferFields
— David Bakhtiari (@DavidBakhtiari) November 12, 2022
The fact that the @nfl can’t watch @RashanAGary play because of Detroit’s slit film turf is a shame! You’re taking good football away from the fans!
— David Bakhtiari (@DavidBakhtiari) November 12, 2022
Football is violent enough. Injuries are gonna happen. Turf doesn’t have to be. #SaferFields
— David Bakhtiari (@DavidBakhtiari) November 12, 2022
Aaron Rodgers also agreed that he would like to see all teams make the switch to grass but stated that he had no faith in NFL owners coming to an agreement because the decision would ultimately come down to money.
“I don’t have a lot of confidence when it comes to the league making that decision without some sort of big vote and gripes from certain owners who don’t want to spend the money,” he said.
Halfway through the 2022 season, NFLPA president JC Tretter wrote a column stating that slit turf surfaces have statistically higher in-game injury rates compared to all other surfaces, including injuries to lower extremities and non-contact injuries.
However, NFL executive V.P. of communications, public affairs, and safety, Jeff Miller, pushed back on Trettor’s claims citing that slit turfs fields produce “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.”
Judging by the data from ACL Recovery Club, it sounds like Miller might be right. The Giants are the only team in the top 10 that uses slit turf. Meanwhile, the team with the lowest number of ACL tears, the Atlanta Falcons, play on a synthetic field.
Unfortunately, ACL injuries can’t be avoided. The Packers just happen to have had pretty bad luck when it comes to ACL tears in recent years.
Hopefully, that luck will change, and they avoid such injuries in the future.
