MetLife Stadium has recently undergone a significant upgrade with the installation of a brand new turf field. The decision to replace the old turf comes after a string of injuries that occurred on the previous playing surface. According to ESPN’s Jordan Ranaan, the new and improved synthetic turf is expected to greatly reduce the number of injuries that have plagued the New York Giants and New York Jets, the two professional football teams who call the stadium their home.
The upgraded playing surface, known as the FieldTurf Core system, is made of a dual-polymer monofilament fiber. This innovative technology has undergone a rigorous testing process, including a fiber wear test of over 200,000 cycles at Penn State’s Center for Sports Surface Research, as reported by ESPN. This ensures that the new turf meets the highest standards for safety and performance.
John Mara, the owner of the Giants, has confirmed that the new FieldTurf has been installed not only at MetLife Stadium but also at the team’s practice facility. However, Mara expressed his desire for the stadium to eventually move towards a grass or hybrid field. Despite this, the installation of the new turf field is a significant step towards improving player safety and providing fans with the best possible game-day experience.
In a recent statement, Ron VanDeVeen, the president and CEO of MetLife Stadium, highlighted the significance of installing the new FieldTurf CORE system. VanDeVeen emphasized the stadium’s commitment to providing the best possible playing surface for its teams, and praised the heavyweight infill design of the new field system. He stated that this new installation would equip MetLife Stadium with one of the most exceptional surfaces in the league, reinforcing the stadium’s position as a leader in sports technology.
The previous turf field at MetLife Stadium received substantial criticism due to the high number of injuries that occurred on the playing surface over the past few seasons. In one game during the 2020 season, five members of the San Francisco 49ers suffered lower-body injuries while playing against the Jets on the old turf. Two defensive linemen, Nick Bosa and Solomon Thomas, had season-ending knee injuries during the same game, which raised concerns about player safety.
In the 2022 season, Baltimore Ravens cornerback Kyle Fuller tore his ACL in a Week 1 game against the Jets at MetLife Stadium, further highlighting the dangers of playing on synthetic turf fields. The growing number of injuries on synthetic turf fields has led some players and coaches, including Odell Beckham Jr., to publicly demand that the NFL switch to grass fields. These calls for change have increased in recent years, and it remains to be seen whether the NFL will heed the concerns and make the switch.