Vikings Linebacker Blake Cashman Joins Calls for NFL Owners to Overhaul Stadiums

The World Cup has shown a light once again on NFL players’ desire to play exclusively on grass fields. Each of the 11 NFL stadiums that hosted a World Cup game this summer installed grass fields at FIFA’s request. Now, NFL players, including a Minnesota Viking, are reigniting their plea for it to be standard for all NFL venues. 

Vikings linebacker Blake Cashman joined in the call from numerous players with the hashtag #WorthTheCost in their hopes of getting NFL stadiums to make the permanent switch to grass. U.S. Bank Stadium, the home of the Vikings, is one of fourteen stadiums to use turf. 

Among the players besides Cashman to voice their concerns were NFC North players Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams and Green Bay Packers linebacker Zaire Franklin.

NFL Players Are Fed Up with Turf Surfaces Like That of U.S. Bank Stadium

Cashman isn’t the first player to voice concerns about the Vikings home turf, and the team even changed their turf back in 2023 to a supposedly superior variety. But that hasn’t stopped players from continuing to ask for natural grass. 

“The temporary installation of natural grass fields for the World Cup is a choice by certain NFL team owners to do for soccer players what they refuse to do for NFL players,” the NFLPA said in a statement. “It’s no longer a question of capability; the technology exists, the expertise exists and the resources exist to install the high-level grass fields that our players overwhelmingly prefer.

“We have seen the meaningful investments made to meet the standard for international athletes and global events. NFL players — who regularly compete on these fields help fund these stadiums and whose work makes the league what it is today — deserve the same commitment to quality grass fields.”

Still, the Vikings maintain that grass in U.S. Bank Stadium is simply an impossibility. 

“U.S. Bank Stadium was built as a multipurpose facility,” chief business administration officer Steve Poppen said. “It was designed for artificial surface. We don’t have the ability to grow grass in that stadium right now.” 

Harrison Smith Still Has Yet to Make the Call on 2026

One Vikings defender still has yet to make an all important decision ahead of 2026, as fans wait for an answer from All-Pro safety Harrison Smith. The Athletic’s Alec Lewis weighed in on his possible return on his podcast earlier this week. 

“I’d say it’s still up in the air,” said Lewis. “I said this on the radio on Tuesday, but I just do not think you can rule out the possibility that he returns at some point. I don’t believe there is a very clear-cut timeline. It’s more so how does Harrison’s body feel? How does his mind feel? And it feels to me as if the Vikings are giving him essentially a blank canvas for him to color on to allow them to then see if he wants to continue playing and allowing him to make that decision on his own time.” 

If Smith opts not to return, the Vikings will likely turn towards some combination of Theo Jackson, Jay Ward, or even rookie Jakobe Thomas. 

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