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The season hasn't even started and I am already getting injury notifications up the wazoo regarding the Giants. Two preseason games in, and the while the team is 2-0, their now facing an uphill battle of injuries. Ones they have faced in the past. As of recent, these Giants have succumbed to lower body injuries.
Edge Kayvon Thibodeauk: Sprained MCL, out 3-4 weeks
G Marcus McKethan: Torn ACL, out for the season
B Darrian Beavers: Torn ACL, out for the season
Brutal.
But it's more than just the Giants bad luck. The turf at MetLife Stadium is truly haunted. Or just flat out trash. Despite NFL reports saying that it's playable, the countless number of injuries that have occurred on this field are troublesome.
Last season, Safety Logan Ryan spoke out, after season ending injuries to Jabril Peppers and Blake Martinez occurred.
“We’ve really got to talk about these turf fields, man. It’s just not best for a player’s safety. It’s too many lower body injuries and it’s unfortunate. The discrepancy is way too high and it’s taking guys earnings away, their earning ability away, when you miss a season because your ankle can’t get out of the turf or your knee can’t get out of the turf. So, it’s unfortunate.”
The Jets have witnessed this first hand too. Mekhi Becton suffered a season ending Knee injury, while Zach Wilson will miss sometime with knee issues as well. Coincidence?
Remember back in 2020 when the 49ers had back-to-back games against the Jets and Giants. They nearly lost half their starters because of the turf. Nick Bosa and Solomon Thomas were lost to season-ending injuries because of their injuries sustained at MetLife. Jimmy Garoppolo, Tevin Coleman, Jerick McKinnon, and George Kittle all got hurt due in part to the poor luck they'd had on the turf as well. Even then, the issue dates back years prior.
Per the National Football League Players Association and based on NFL injury data collected from 2012 to 2018, not only was the contact injury rate for lower extremities higher during practices and games held on artificial turf, NFL players consistently experienced a much higher rate of non-contact lower extremity injuries on turf compared to natural surfaces.
Specifically, players have a 28% higher rate of non-contact lower extremity injuries when playing on artificial turf. Of those non-contact injuries, players have a 32% higher rate of non-contact knee injuries on turf and a staggering 69% higher rate of non-contact foot/ankle injuries on turf compared to grass.
The New York Giants are worth $6 billion, while the Jets are worth $5.4B. It's time for John Mara, Steven Tisch, and the Johnson Family to cough up the coin and fix the issue.
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