Giants’ Julian Love: MetLife Stadium turf ‘will be changed’ in 2023
After countless injuries — for the New York Giants, New York Jets and opposing teams — and a constant outcry, MetLife Stadium will get a new turf in 2023.
Giants safety Julian Love, the team’s NFLPA player rep, revealed the news to NJ Advance Media.
“The Giants and MetLife are in the process of getting things done for next year,” Love said. “That turf will be changed. The stats have shown that we are on one of the worst fields in the league.”
It’s unclear if MetLife Stadium will be going to natural grass or moving to an alternate turf. Either way, the FieldTurf Classic HD system that was installed in 2020, will be gone.
“Part of the challenge is the two teams and all of the events that [happen] on that field, and so we would love grass, but if that’s not feasible, then the new state-of-the-art turf that is available will have to go down instead,” Love said. “The Giants are on the ball on that type of thing, and I think there is now a push to make everybody the same way.”
Love and other Giants, such as Landon Collins and Saquon Barkley, have been very vocal about their disdain for the MetLife Stadium turf. Former Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. also spoke out against it.
Jeff Miller, the NFL’s executive vice president of communications, recently denied that the FieldTurf Classic HD system cause a significant number of additional injuries but the Giants and Jets clearly disagreed.
Both general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll had previously vowed to look into changing the MetLife Stadium turf, but said that would be a discussion for the offseason.
“Obviously, there’s a standard in the league already, but we want that standard to be raised,” Love added. “Ideally, if everybody could be playing on grass, that would be the best-case scenario. It’s just easier on the players’ bodies, but if not, upgrade to the premium turf that is now being used at the newer stadiums.”
The Giants and Jets played on natural grass from 2000-2002 at the old Giants Stadium, but it was incapable of serving as the field for two teams and a multitude of other events, not to mention the Northeast winters.
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