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In the wake of a season-ending injury to star quarterback Aaron Rodgers, several New York Jets players have voiced their concerns about the MetLife Stadium turf.
Wide receiver Randall Cobb has been particularly vocal, expressing his dissatisfaction with the current playing surface and suggesting that the NFL prioritizes profits over player safety.
Cobb’s comments, reported via The Athletic, have stirred a broader conversation about the playing conditions in the league: “We wanted the NFL to protect the players with grass fields, but the NFL is more worried about making money. Profit over people, it’s always been the case,”
Cobb stated emphatically. “I’ve never been a fan of turf. That’s my stance.”
Cornerback DJ Reed echoed the sentiment on twitter, stating, “We need real grass for all of our NFL stadiums,”
Running back Breece Hall simply stated, “Grass. That’s my answer. We want grass.”
Linebacker C.J. Mosley added: “For me, the new turf is a lot softer, which I feel in the legs and knees. Like, my legs right now feel a lot better than on the turf last year. So then you feel like maybe it’s improved, but at the end of the day, grass has always been the best.”
Pass-rusher Jermaine Johnson said, “I’m not a fan of turf at all. It’s just hard on athletes. I love grass… Your strides, anything accidental, the grass will give. Turf doesn’t give, so it just goes back into your body, and bad things happen. So I’m not a big fan of the turf, period.”
The concerns expressed by these Jets players bring into focus the ongoing debate about player safety and playing surfaces in the NFL.