Josh Allen is a grass guy. And now he plays on it every week.
Allen was asked about the NFL's ongoing grass-versus-turf debate, and he didn't hedge. The Bills quarterback made his feelings on playing surfaces very clear on Tuesday.
"Yeah, I think grass is healthier for our bodies," Allen told reporters.
The timing of the question is, of course, significant.
Buffalo just moved into the new $2.1 billion Highmark Stadium, which replaced the artificial turf at the old building with a new, natural grass field.
And despite mixed reviews, Allen said he notices the difference in his own body, even in practice.
"I'm to a point in my career now that when we practice inside on the artificial, I can feel it the next day," Allen shared. "When we're out there,
I feel great, and I think any guy that was honest would tell you that's how they feel."
The 30-year-old is entering his ninth NFL season, and what he practices on now shows up the next morning and impacts his overall health throughout the season.
The Bills' QB1 and recent NFL MVP even got more specific about why he dislikes playing on artificial surfaces.
"I've gotten numerous, numerous burns on my legs from artificial turf to the point where I can't sleep at night because it's bubbling over," he added. "It's very painful."
That lines up with what players across the league have been saying for years. The NFLPA has repeatedly pushed for grass at every stadium, and only 16 of the league's 30 venues currently have it.
Allen knows Buffalo will still play road games on turf during the season, he just wishes it wasn't the case, noting the direct impact that the playing surface has to staying healthy.
"If I can snap my fingers and make every field grass, that's what I would do for sure," the QB continued. "I think it's healthier injury prevention."
Some grass fields, such as the Arizona Cardinals' retractable natural grass at State Farm Stadium outside Phoenix, have drawn complaints due to the way it clumps and tears.
Highmark Stadium's grass has already been a talking point this preseason after showing some wear in the preseason opener. Bills president Pete Guelli has been quick to defend it.
"It's Year 1," Guelli said, via ESPN. "It's a brand new field and it's going to take time for the foundation to build up."
For Allen, the message is simpler: whatever the field looks like in August, he'd rather play on it than the alternative.
While questions about field quality may remain at surface level, Buffalo's franchise quarterback has picked his side.
The next look at the new grass comes Saturday in the preseason finale.
This article originally appeared on Bills Wire: Bills' Josh Allen weighs in on grass vs. turf at Highmark Stadium: 'I can feel it'
