A new playing surface has been installed at MetLife Stadium.
Previously, their turf field had been widely criticized for its mediocrity. While not normal grass, the surface is closer to regular grass. The new surface is believed to be an improved synthetic turf that will decrease the number of injuries that occur at the home of the New York Giants and New York Jets. This “turf” is a recent edition called FieldTurf Core system, which is the first-ever multilayer dual-polymer monofilament fiber. This should be stronger than turf, but closer to grass. The heavyweight infill design claims to deliver a lower incidence of total injuries compared to other infill weights. The performance and durability of the surface is backed by multiple independent certified sources and was tested to 200,000 cycles on the fiber wear test done by Penn State’s Center for Sports Surface Research. One of the best parts of it is that it is closer to grass, and grass can hold up under the Northeast climate and the heavy usage of MetLife Stadium. Several Giants players publicly expressed their desire to change to natural grass, so this is a happy medium.
The previous turf at MetLife Stadium has been the subject of multiple complaints in the past, including by the San Francisco 49ers after five players suffered lower-body injuries in the same game against the Jets during the 2020 season. The knee injuries suffered by Nick Bosa and Solomon Thomas were season-ending. It is in the players’ best interest to have the best surface out there. It can help prevent future injuries and takes it easier on existing ones. It is encouraging to see the NFL working on improvements for their athletes.
