The MetLife Curse Continues: Malik Nabers, Another Victim of the Turf

Another season, another knee.

The turf at MetLife Stadium has claimed yet another victim—Malik Nabers, the Giants’ emerging star wide receiver, tore his ACL on the same surface that’s been chewing up NFL talent for the better part of a decade. It’s a devastating blow not only to Nabers, who was coming off a breakout rookie year, but also to a Giants team that finally looked like it had a modern offense with a future.

Malik Nabers PC: (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

This isn’t just bad luck anymore. This is a trend. This is negligence. This is MetLife Stadium.

MetLife has long been one of the most hated fields in the NFL, especially since it introduced the now-infamous "slit film" turf. The surface has been linked to a staggering number of injuries over the years. Just look at this hall of pain:

• Aaron Rodgers — Torn Achilles in his Jets debut in 2023 (on the fourth play, no less).

• Nick Bosa and Solomon Thomas — Both tore ACLs in the same game vs. the Jets in 2020.

• Sterling Shepard, Saquon Barkley, Jabrill Peppers — All went down with season-ending injuries at home.

• Jimmy Garoppolo, Raheem Mostert, Jaelan Phillips, Julian Love, Blake Martinez, Darius Slayton, Andrew Thomas — the list is just insane.

• Now, Malik Nabers in 2025, in the middle of what was supposed to be his All-Pro leap year.

According to The Sporting News, the injury toll at MetLife is among the league’s worst. And that’s not hyperbole—it’s data-backed pain.

With the Giants securing their first win with Jaxson Dart at the helm, losing Nabers is gut wrenching. He was establishing himself as a top-tier wideout and there was momentum in the Meadowlands. Not Super Bowl buzz, but respectability—something the team has been starved for since 2016. Nabers was the guy. He racked up over 1,100 yards last season and looked even sharper in camp. Losing him doesn’t just hurt the depth chart—it kills the vertical threat and limits the offense’s ceiling. Again.

The front office has invested in skill positions, revamped the offensive line, and retooled the coaching staff. But all that strategy goes out the window when your best players are sidelined by a non-contact injury because the field is playing defense.

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Post Malik Nabers Thoughts: Why Are We Still Using Turf in 2025?

Let’s be very clear: the NFLPA has been calling for a full league-wide switch to natural grass for years. The data shows that ACL and Achilles injuries are significantly more common on turf. The NFL itself acknowledged the problem in 2023. And yet, here we are. Still arguing about grass.

The excuse is always the same: turf is cheaper, easier to maintain, and allows for stadiums to host concerts and events without worrying about tearing up the lawn. But that logic falls apart when you factor in the millions lost to injuries, the fan disappointment, and the actual product on the field being worse because key players are constantly hurt.

FIFA Demands Grass—Why Doesn’t the NFL?

Here’s the kicker (and not the one pulling his hamstring on turf): FIFA demanded natural grass for every U.S. venue hosting 2026 World Cup matches.

You know what that means? MetLife is literally going to install real grass for the World Cup. International soccer players like Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi won’t be expected to play on turf. But NFL stars? Still running routes on glorified carpet.

If the Jets and Giants were a Premier League team, they’d already have a pristine pitch. But because they play in a league that rakes in billions yet pinches pennies when it comes to field surfaces, they get the synthetic stuff. You know, the stuff that tears ACLs and Achilles tendons like paper.

At what point does this stop being an unfortunate trend and become grounds for a lawsuit? The Mara and Johnson families, co-owners of MetLife, continue to trot out statements about “monitoring safety” and “listening to feedback,” but until action is taken, it's all PR fluff.

The Nabers injury should be a final straw. It won’t be. But it should be.

Giants fans have already endured a lot. Daniel Jones’ fall from grace. Coaching carousels. Sunday slogs that feel like watching paint dry. But when hope finally returns—through players like Nabers—and it gets ripped away by a field that’s been under fire for years, that’s not football. That’s malpractice.

If MetLife can install grass for a month of soccer, it sure as hell can do it for eight home games a year. Until then, expect more heartbreak. More injuries. More wasted seasons.

The turf at MetLife isn’t just bad.

It’s a liability.