A new turf field has been installed at MetLife Stadium, a change that comes after several injuries took place on the old turf at the stadium. According to ESPN's Jordan Ranaan, the new playing surface is an improved synthetic turf that is expected to reduce the number of injuries at the home of the New York Giants and New York Jets.
The teams will play on a new form of FieldTurf called FieldTurf Core system, which is made with dual-polymer monofilament fiber. The turf was tested over 200,000 cycles via a fiber wear test by Penn State's Center for Sports Surface Research, ESPN reported.
Giants owner John Mara confirmed to the media that the new FieldTurf had been installed at MetLife Stadium, as well as at the team's practice facility. Mara also stated that he hopes that MetLife Stadium eventually installs a grass or hybrid field.
"Installation of the new FieldTurf CORE system reinforces the commitment we have to providing the best playing surface for our teams," president and CEO of MetLife Stadium Ron VanDeVeen said in a statement on Thursday. "The research that FieldTurf has put into the heavyweight infill design for this new field system will equip MetLife Stadium with one of the premier surfaces in the league."
The previous turf field at MetLife Stadium had received a large amount of criticism over the past few seasons. During the 2020 season, five members of the San Francisco 49ers suffered lower-body injuries in one game against the Jets. Defensive linemen Nick Bosa and Solomon Thomas both suffered season-ending knee injuries in that contest.
During the 2022 season, Baltimore Ravens cornerback Kyle Fuller tore his ACL during a Week 1 game against the Jets at MetLife Stadium.
Several players and coaches, including Odell Beckham Jr. in 2022, have publicly asked for the NFL to convert all of its fields to grass
