Last season, the Vikings’ home field was one of only three in the NFL with slit film turf, which the NFL Players Association has said causes more injuries than other types of artificial turf. This offseason, the Vikings changed to a monofilament surface.
So far the Vikings haven’t played or practiced on the new playing surface, but the team’s kickers did get to work at U.S. Bank Stadium on Wednesday, and Vikings special teams coordinator Matt Daniels said the kickers consider the new turf an improvement.
”It’s definitely a lot more bouncy, a lot more springy,” Daniels said, via the Star-Tribune. “It definitely has more grip to it, which is encouraging. They felt good about their plants, they felt good about their steps from a punting and kicking standpoint. I think it’s a good change.”
Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson was injured last season when he slipped on the turf, leading some to question whether a higher-quality turf would have saved Jefferson from the injury. Given that Jefferson has signed a four-year, $140 million contract extension, protecting the team’s valuable assets ought to be worth the cost of ditching the slit film turf.