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NFL Debunks Common Belief About MetLife Stadium Playing Field

League claims MetLife Stadium's playing surface is one of the safest.
Patricia Traina|
MetLife Stadium
MetLife Stadium | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

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Despite a growing list of injuries to football players on the MetLife Stadium field over the years, the league insists it has data to support the claim that the playing surface is one of the safest in the league.

Such was the information presented by Jeff Miller, NFL Executive Vice President of Communications, Public Affairs and Policy; Health and Safety during Tuesday’s media session at the league’s fall meetings.

"(MetLife Stadium) had one of the lowest injury rates, not just as a synthetic, but across the league last year,” Miller said, according to Tom Rock of Newsday.

“As far as how MetLife is playing, it's playing really well and it has been for a while."

It’s unclear what the NFL considers as a “low injury rate,” but according to Yahoo Fantasy Sports, eight players have suffered either an ACL or Achilles tear on the MetLife Stadium field since 2020.

Another user from X (formerly known as Twitter) posted data showing that at least 16 players have suffered ACL or Achilles injuries on MetLife’s field since 2019, in response to a posting by former Giants receiver Odell Beckham, Jr., imploring the NFL to "get rid of the turf."

Last week, The Athletic, which apparently obtained the injury data from the NFL, reported that in terms of lower-extremity injuries-- what many believe to be the most common injury caused by turf--MetLife’s field ranked ninth.

In 2023, Giants and Jets players tested new playing surfaces and settled on the FieldTurf CORE system, which is claimed to reduce injury-related incidents.

MetLife will be installing an all-grass field for the World Cup event, which will take place next summer. 

Once the World Cup is over, it remains to be seen whether the stadium will reinstall the current turf on the playing surface, replace it with a new surface from the same product line, or go in a totally different direction with another artificial product.

What isn’t in the cards, at least for now, is leaving the grass in place, no matter how much the NFLPA calls for it, due in part to the cost of the upkeep.

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Patricia Traina
PATRICIA TRAINA

Patricia Traina has covered the New York Giants for 30+ seasons, and her work has appeared in multiple media outlets, including The Athletic, Forbes, Bleacher Report, and the Sports Illustrated media group. As a credentialed New York Giants press corps member, Patricia has also covered five Super Bowls (three featuring the Giants), the annual NFL draft, and the NFL Scouting Combine. She is the author of The Big 50: The Men and Moments that Made the New York Giants. In addition to her work with New York Giants On SI, Patricia hosts the Locked On Giants podcast. Patricia is also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America and the Football Writers Association of America.

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