- Turf toe meaning
- Turf toe causes
- Turf toe grades
- Turf toe symptoms
- Turf toe treatments
- Turf toe recovery timeline
- How turf toe impacts performance
- Notable NFL turf toe injuries
- How turf toe in football compares to other sports
- Turf toe prevention
- Turf toe FAQs
Turf toe is one of the most debilitating injuries in sports, though its name does not necessarily indicate that.
There is more to the injury than meets the eye, as turf toe is a name given to an injury involving the bones, tendons and ligaments around the toe's joint. The result is an injury that can hold players out for days, weeks or, in the most extreme cases, months.
Here is more to know about turf toe, how it occurs, the variety of designations and notable cases of the injury in big-time athletes.
Turf toe meaning
Turf toe, or a metatarsophalangeal joint sprain, is an injury in the big toe joint. The injury occurs when ligaments, tendons and soft tissues in the joint stretch or tear. To be more specific, the injury deals with more than the toe, and is an injury to the bones, tendons and ligaments under the big toe's large knuckle joint, or the ball of the foot
The name "turf toe" comes from the frequency of the injury on turf surfaces, but the injury can also occur on grass.
Turf toe causes
By definition, turf toe happens when your big toe is bent and pressed flat against the ground.
Typically, this happens when the toe remains on the ground and your heel lifts, causing the toe to hyperextend. This hyperextension of the big toe causes the soft tissues and ligaments within to stretch or tear.
The injury can also happen as a result of many repetitive movements over time or from sudden trauma, such as a football player being tackled while their toe is planted on the ground.
MORE: What to know about offensive and defensive pass interference penalties
Turf toe grades
Turf toe injuries vary in severity and are classified by a grading system. The higher the grade, the more severe the injury.
Treatment plans are determined based on the grade, and injuries are classified as Grade 1, Grade 2 or Grade 3.
Grade 1
A Grade 1 turf toe injury occurs when the soft tissue in the toe is stretched, but no tears are present. Those impacted by Grade 1 turf toe injuries face mild limitations in their ability. With a Grade 1 injury, a player shouldn't miss too much time and can sometime return without missing any games at all.
Grade 2
A Grade 2 turf toe injury occurs when there is a partial tear in the toe's soft tissue. There are more limitations in the abilities of those dealing with Grade 2 turf toe injuries. A Grade 2 injury will generally keep players out of action for a couple of weeks.
Grade 3
A Grade 3 turf toe injury means the soft tissues in the toe are completely torn, and that the toe joint may be dislocated. Those impacted by a Grade 3 turf toe injury are highly unlikely to be able to participate in sports. Grade 3 sprains are the most severe, and could lead to a lengthy recovery, especially if surgery is needed. In those cases, a player could miss a few months.
Turf toe symptoms
Turf toe symptoms vary based on the severity of the injury. With more severe grade injuries come more severe symptoms, but they are all a variation of pain, tenderness, swelling, bruising, a limited range of motion and toe joint instability.
Here is how symptoms worsen with injury grades:
- Grade 1: The toe is sensitive to the touch and may be mildly swollen.
- Grade 2: The toe has intense, widespread tenderness and is usually swollen and bruised.
- Grade 3: The toe has severe swelling and pain, making it difficult to move.
MORE: The 10 most shocking NFL Draft slides of all time
Turf toe treatments
Because it is a sprain by definition, Grade 1 and 2 turf toe injuries often heal with rest, time and treatment.
Sometimes, individuals with turf toe injuries use a walking boot and crutches to minimize the injury's impact. Ice can help mitigate swelling, and medication can help with pain management.
Grade 3 sprains often necessitate surgery to repair severe tears and associated joint damage.
Turf toe recovery timeline
The recovery timeline from turf toe is case by case, depending on the severity of the injury and the pain tolerance of the person it has affected. Here is an outlook at the baseline recovery times for each injury:
Grade 1
A Grade 1 turf toe injury can heal within a week, but sometimes requires multiple weeks of rest, treatment and rehab.
Grade 2
Grade 2 turf toe injuries can take two to three weeks for healing and recovery, and that timeline sometimes expands beyond one month.
Grade 3
A Grade 3 turf toe injury can take two to six months to heal. Recovery from that surgery typically fits within that two-to-six-month timeline.
MORE: Antonio Gates, Donovan McNabb and 9 other sports stars who played in March Madness
How turf toe impacts performance
While players are limited when playing through turf toe injuries, a 2023 study from The Journal of Foot and Ankle Surgery outlines that there is no significant differences in players' performances upon returning from a turf toe injury.
MORE: Comparing overtime rules among the preseason, regular season and postseason
Notable NFL turf toe injuries
Joe Burrow, 2025
Burrow sustained a Grade 3 turf toe injury in the second quarter of the Cincinnati Bengals' Week 2 win. The injury occurred as Burrow was sacked around his foot and resulted in torn ligaments, requiring surgery. Burrow was given a three-month recovery timeline.
Brock Purdy, 2025
Purdy sustained a "turf toe variation" in Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season, though he played through the end of the game. He was given a loose return timeline of two to five weeks.
Brock Purdy is now going to MISS 2-5 weeks with turf toe
— Dr. Evan Jeffries, DPT (@GameInjuryDoc) September 11, 2025
Turf toe is a metatarsophalangeal joint sprain essentially making it difficult to
-push off foot
-scramble
-arm strength because of difficulty pushing off foot
This is something that can affect him throughout the… pic.twitter.com/uJ5VMGucII
MORE: Ranking the best QBs taken with picks 1-32, from Peyton Manning to Lamar Jackson
Patrick Mahomes, 2021
Mahomes' turf toe injury came during the divisional round of the NFL playoffs in 2021. He played through what he admitted was intense pain in the AFC Championship Game and the Super Bowl, but his mobility was limited, ultimately resulting in a 22-point loss in Super Bowl 55.
Davante Adams, 2019
Adams' injury came in the fourth quarter of a career performance in Week 4 of the 2019 NFL season. He missed the next four games and returned to the field over a month after initially going down with the frustrating injury.
Deion Sanders, 1998
Toe injuries plagued Sanders at various points in his career, but in 1998, he went down with a left toe injury in Week 12 and attempted to play in Week 13 before missing the final five games of the season.
He returned for the Dallas Cowboys' one playoff game, but the injury came with more complications down the line. In an extreme circumstance, blood clots and gangrene in his leg and feet led to Sanders having two toes amputated on his left foot. The surgery and amputation were linked to Sanders' toe injuries as a player.
Jack Lambert, 1984
Lambert's career came to an end as he dealt with a severe recurring case of turf toe during the 1984 NFL season. After sustaining the injury in the season opener, Lambert missed three games and only appeared in eight that season, wearing a special cast placed in his cleats to deal with the issue. He retired at the end of that campaign.
MORE: Most Super Bowl wins in history by player
How turf toe in football compares to other sports
Turf toe in football is most similar to injuries in soccer, as both typically occur on field surfaces, be it grass or FieldTurf.
The injury can occur in any sport, but it is most common in sports that require explosive movements, stopping, going and changing directions. The hard-court surface in basketball makes it another sport in which turf toe injuries are fairly common.
MORE: Where is the NFL Hall of Fame Game played every year?
Turf toe prevention
Turf toe is not always preventable, but there are ways to reduce the risk.
Shoes with more stability and limited flexibility in the toe area can help prevent turf toe injuries. Stretching and warm-ups can also protect the joint and mitigate the chance of injury.
Custom orthotic insoles can also be placed inside an athlete's shoes to tailor to their movements.
MORE: What is a catch in the NFL? Explaining the league's definition, controversial calls and more
Turf toe FAQs
How do you fix a turf toe?
There are various fixes for turf toe, each of which depends on the severity of the injury.
Grade 1 and 2 turf toe injuries are typically fixed with rest, ice, compression and time. Grade 3 injuries, which are often complete tears, require surgery to fix the injury and repair the ligaments.
Can you walk on a turf toe?
You can walk on a turf toe, depending on the severity. Severe cases often require you to use a walking boot and a crutch to limit the impact and pressure on the injury.
MORE: Complete list of Super Bowl MVP winners through the years
What does turf toe look like?
Turf toe looks different on a case-by-case basis, but most cases come with swelling and bruising, meaning the big toe can be larger than normal and discoloration can occur.
Are there turf toe shoes?
There are no shoes specifically designed for the injury, but stiffer, more rigid shoes with less flexibility in the toe area are helpful when preventing or coming back from the injury. Additionally, orthotic insoles can be used to better settle the foot inside of an athletic shoe to limit movement in the to area.
What is the difference between gout and turf toe?
Turf toe is an acute injury brought about by forceful blunt trauma, causing soft tissue damage, sprains and tears. Gout is a form of inflammatory arthritis that is caused by the presence of too much uric acid in the blood.
MORE: 16 NFL stars you didn't know were also drafted by MLB teams