In each of the last two weeks, a visiting player in St. Louis has been injured when he lost his footing on the concrete surrounding the field at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis. The Rams and the NFL haven’t done anything about it, but they are talking about doing something about it.
Rams coach Jeff Fisher confirmed today that the team has been in discussions with the NFL about the concrete edge of the playing surface, Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Fisher pointed out that the Rams have been playing at the Edward Jones Dome for 20 years and no one raised any concerns about the concrete around the field, but that shouldn’t matter: Browns quarterback Josh McCown hurt his shoulder when he couldn’t slow down on the concrete and ran into the wall, and 49ers running back Reggie Bush suffered a serious knee injury when he slipped on the concrete. Two injuries is two too many. The NFL needs to make sure playing surfaces are safe, and the NFL Players Association needs to insist that the NFL provide a safe workplace for its membership.
The Rams may move to Los Angeles after the season, which means there may be only four more NFL games at the Edward Jones Dome. But that’s not a good reason for the NFL to punt on this issue. Safety measures should be taken before the Rams’ next home game.
