MetLife Stadium Turf Criticized Following Malik Nabers ACL Injury

Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers was carted off MetLife Stadium Sunday with a knee injury that league sources and replays suggest is likely a torn ACL after his knee buckled while planting to leap for a pass, a potentially season-ending loss for New York’s top offensive weapon. The injury immediately reignited long‑running criticism of MetLife’s synthetic turf — players, insiders and fans called it among the worst in the league and pointed to a string of high‑profile season‑ending injuries at the venue. MetLife installed a new FieldTurf CORE system in 2023 and team officials touted its testing and research, but serious injuries have continued and skepticism about the surface’s safety persists. Some injuries (for example Aaron Rodgers’ Achilles) have been later attributed to situational mechanics rather than turf alone, so exact causation remains debated. With the stadium planning to install natural grass for the upcoming World Cup and growing pressure from players and media, ownership faces renewed calls to change the playing surface. If Nabers’ ACL is confirmed, the Giants lose their primary offensive threat and the incident will deepen scrutiny of the Meadowlands turf debate.