Giants Set to Play NFL-Most 15 Games on Turf in 2026 Amid Renewed Grass Debate

The 2026 World Cup reignited calls for natural grass in NFL stadiums, but New York — coming off a season with 240 games missed to injury — will play almost its entire schedule on artificial turf.

The flags of Brazil and Norway displayed on the field of MetLife Stadium before the teams faced off in a Round of 16 World Cup match Sunday, July 5, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The recently completed 2026 FIFA World Cup brought natural grass into NFL stadiums, reviving a familiar argument that teams around the league should replace artificial turf with grass.

New York Giants right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor has been among the many NFL players who have expressed a desire to see grass fields kept permanently.

Unfortunately for Eluemunor and his teammates, that will not be the case: the Giants are set to play 15 of their 17 games on artificial turf in 2026, tied with the Tennessee Titans for the most in the NFL.

Here's a look at how many games each NFL team will play on grass this season amid the ongoing debate between grass and turf. pic.twitter.com/pYVVFYcHQk

— Chad Graff (@ChadGraff) July 20, 2026

The Giants in particular have good reason to want to see natural grass remain on their home field. According to RotoWire, New York was the sixth-most-injured team in the NFL last season, with players missing a total of 240 games.

While the injury rate can’t be definitively boiled down to whether a team plays on grass or turf, independent studies have indicated a correlation between artificial turf and injuries.

One 2024 study published by the National Library of Medicine concluded that, “The odds of a season-ending surgery were found to be significantly higher on artificial turf compared with natural grass.”

While the World Cup has fueled the debate, it's nothing new. The NFLPA has consistently argued for a league-wide transition to natural grass, as players tend to prefer playing on grass instead of artificial turf, due to both injury risks and overall feel.

The NFL has pushed back on the injury challenge argument in particular, saying that “playing on natural grass is not the answer to this complex challenge.”

The ongoing debate between the NFL and the NFLPA isn't going anywhere, though it’s widely believed to be one of the topics that will take center stage when the next CBA comes up for discussion between the league and the players' union.

In the meantime, short of sitting out games in protest, the Giants don’t have much of a choice when it comes to the upcoming season, as the schedule is locked in for 2026. 

They are hopeful that they can finally get through a season in which they don’t have any significant season-ending injuries, such as the torn ACL suffered by receiver Malik Nabers last year in week 4, occur on the artificial turf.

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