Home | Articles | News | NY Jets’ Michael Carter II calls out MetLife Stadium turf

NY Jets’ Michael Carter II calls out MetLife Stadium turf

Michael Carter II, New York Jets
Michael Carter II, New York Jets, Getty Images

New York Jets players continue to call for a new surface at MetLife Stadium

Add another New York Jets player to the list of those who have criticized the MetLife Stadium turf.

In response to an article from ProFootballTalk that reported a joint NFL/NFLPA committee found similar injury rates on grass and turf fields, cornerback Michael Carter II chimed in on the debate.

“Need some of these people to go into MetLife and bounce off that turf for 3 hours and tell me how you feel after vs grass,” said Carter.

The article states, “A joint committee by the NFL and NFL Players Association found that the incidence of lower body injuries was about the same on turf fields as it was on grass fields during the 2023 season.”

Additionally, the study found that “the rate of injuries that occur in the lower extremities without contact from another player was 0.001 higher per 100 plays on turf than it was on grass.”

The NFLPA said in response that “the data did not change its belief” in grass fields and “injury data in a one-year time capsule does not account for what we have known since we started tracking these injuries: that a well-maintained, consistent grass surface is still simply safer for players than any synthetic field.”

Carter’s tweet showcases an essential factor in regards to the players’ view of playing surfaces.

The debate between turf and grass fields is not only about the number of injuries but also how the playing surface affects players’ bodies throughout a season.

Players, as evidenced by the claims of Carter and others, say they feel greater impact from hits when they fall on turf than on grass. The artificial surfaces have much less give to them than the natural ones. As a result, this heavier impact causes more wear and tear on players’ bodies over time.

MetLife Stadium is a primary culprit, as it has gained a reputation around the league for being one of the worst surfaces to play on. Whether due to the lack of give on the turf or the feeling of hitting the surface, the Jets’ and Giants’ home stadium serves as the poster child for why players want to switch to grass.

It remains to be seen if MetLife, among other stadiums, will change to grass or natural surfaces in the future. But until that change is made, players on both the Jets and other teams will continue criticizing the stadium’s playing surface.

Next Article

More Jet X

Subscribe to become a Jet X Member to unlock every piece of Jets X-Factor content (film breakdowns, analytics, Sabo with the Jets, etc.), get audio versions of each article, receive the ability to comment within our community, and experience an ad-free platform experience.

Sign up for Jet X Daily, our daily newsletter delivered to your inbox every morning at 8:00 a.m. ET.

Download the free Jet X Mobile App to get customizable notifications directly to your iOS (App Store) or Android (Google Play) device.

Follow us on X (Formerly Twitter) @jetsxfactor for all the latest New York Jets news, Facebook for even more, Instagram for some of the top NY Jets images, and YouTube for original Jets X-Factor videos and live streaming.

Add Jets X-Factor on Google News and/or find us on Apple News to stay updated on the New York Jets.

About the Author

Related Articles

Comments

Subscribe
Notify of
2 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments