Giants Country

Injury Data Supports MetLife Stadium Field Safety

Although the MetLife Stadium turf has a negative stigma, new data has arrived to prove it is relatively safe.
Robbie Lastella|
New Data has arrived to disprove the theory that the turf at MetLife Stadium caused injuries to New York Giant players
New Data has arrived to disprove the theory that the turf at MetLife Stadium caused injuries to New York Giant players | Julian Leshay Guadalupe/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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New York Giants

MetLife Stadium, home of the New York Giants and New York Jets, has taken a lot of flak over the years for its turf and its role in causing soft-tissue and ligament injuries.

Many fans, analysts, and players have commented on the injuries, suggesting grass would be a safer alternative. Most recently, Giants receiver Malik Nabers suffered a torn ACL while attempting to make a contested catch in Week 4 against the Chargers.

Although there have been multiple season-ending injuries suffered on the field, new data might make the criticism about the frequency of injuries unwarranted.  

According to Injury Data collected by the NFL (h/t The Athletic), MetLife Stadium’s field is the safest field for visiting players in the entire league. 

In terms of lower-extremity injuries, what many believe to be the most common injury caused by turf, MetLife’s field ranks ninth.

A temporary grass field will be installed at MetLife Stadium for the World Cup, with matches scheduled there from June 13 through July 19 next year. That grass will remain only for the World Cup, with turf set to be reinstalled for the 2026 season.

The NFLPA has advocated for grass fields across the entire league in the past. Former NFLPA president JC Tretter wrote that based on NFL injury data, “artificial turf is significantly harder on the body than grass.”

Despite the NFLPA’s displeasure with MetLife’s turf field, the data support its safety, and it’s unlikely any changes will occur unless it becomes a league-wide requirement.

Giants losing key players on home field

The data clearly support the safety of the turf on the MetLife Stadium field. However, that doesn’t erase the fact that the Giants have lost multiple key players to lower-extremity injuries sustained at home.

Since 2020, Sterling Shepard, Blake Martinez, Andrew Thomas, Wan’Dale Robinson, Jabrill Peppers, Shane Lemieux, and Nabers have all suffered season-ending injuries while playing for the Giants at MetLife.

The Giants losing multiple key players at home, especially star receivers who become fan favorites, is what has ultimately led to the belief that MetLife’s field is unsafe and causes injuries.

No data currently supports the theory that MetLife’s field causes more injuries than others'. Even with that being the case, it is unlikely the NFLPA will change its stance on natural grass being the preferred field across the league.

The NFLPA and the league may reach an agreement to implement the players' preference for grass across the league, but as of now, the turf remains.

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Robbie Lastella
ROBBIE LASTELLA

Robbie Lastella is a freelance writer currently covering College football in the South Florida area, as well as NFL News for New Era Prep. Prior to freelancing, Robbie was as a full time beat reporter for FAU Owls Nest, covering Florida Atlantic Athletics with a main beat of football, basketball and softball. He has also covered three consecutive NCAA Men’s basketball tournaments, most recently for Bracketeer.Org, producing a variety of pieces on teams throughout the tournament. A proud supporter of animal rescue, when not watching sports you can find Robbie taking care of his dog Spice.

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