The New York Giants and New York Jets share MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Prior to the 2010 move to 82,500-seat stadium (largest in the NFL), the neighboring NFL franchises shared Giants Stadium, which was adjacent to MetLife Stadium in the New Jersey Meadowlands. The teams have always played on artificial turf and are two of the 16 NFL teams that use the surface.
But in the wake of the season-ending Achilles tear that New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers suffered on Monday night, the stadium’s turf has become a hot topic. So much that former New York Giants legend Eli Manning even spoke on it. The two-time Super Bowl champion’s comments were in favor of using the surface.
Eli Says Turf Didn’t Cause Rodgers‘ Injury
In an interview with Front Office Sports, Manning, who played on the surface his entire career, explained why he felt the playing surface was not a factor in Rodgers’ demise.
“The turf gives you a reliable field all the time,” Manning said in Front Office Sports Today. “The Giants played in the same stadium in a big rainstorm the night before. If you have to play on that on Monday night on grass, it would be ripped up.”
“I don’t think the turf had a factor in that injury,” he said.
Bills Player Says Surface Felt Fine
During the offseason the turf at MetLife Stadium was replaced with a new surface, and Buffalo Bills star offensive lineman Dion Dawkins says he felt the difference.
“I did mention on the field that it felt way better,” Dawkins told reporters. “I don’t know what they did, but it felt way better. The turf feels a lot better because the old turf was horrible. But it feels good.”
Dawkins comments didn’t stop the NFLPA from recommending that the league replace all turf surfaces with grass playing surfaces as soon as next season.
MetLife Stadium has been the scene for other season-ending injuries in the past, including a gruesome one to Niners star edge rusher and reigning DPOY Nick Bosa. In fact, Bosa and then-teammate Solomon Thomas were lost for the season in the same game there in 2020. Giants wide receiver Sterling Shepard also tore his ACL there in 2022.
This story seems to be growing legs, so we’ll what see comes from it.
