49ers' George Kittle: World Cup shows NFL can play on grass

Field Level Media|published: 06/27/2026, 12:58pm EDT

Jan 11, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle before action against the Philadelphia Eagles in an NFC Wild Card Round game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

San Francisco 49ers star tight end George Kittle has seen the World Cup contested on grass fields at NFL stadiums.

If "futbol" can be played exclusively on grass, Kittle asked why can't the NFL do the same?

"We've made it clear that we prefer grass fields. 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," Kittle said, via the NFL Players Association.

SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., Lumen Field in Seattle and AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, converted from turf to grass for the event, as did MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., NRG Stadium in Houston and Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

"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.

It should be noted that Kittle's Achilles' tear in the NFC wild-card game on Jan. 11 happened on a grass field against the host Philadelphia Eagles.

Kittle, 32, had 57 receptions for 628 yards and seven touchdowns in 11 games last season.

The seven-time Pro Bowl selection has 595 career catches for 8,008 yards and 52 touchdowns in 124 games with San Francisco. He has four 1,000-yard seasons.

--Field Level Media