Dolphins' Jevon Holland enters turf vs. grass debate

Miami Dolphins safety Jevon Holland became the latest NFL player to enter the turf-versus-grass debate after he watched teammate Jaelan Phillips suffer a torn Achilles while playing on the MetLife Stadium turf during last Friday's 34-13 win at the New York Jets. 

"Turf is tough on the body and being at that place," Holland said while referencing MetLife Stadium during a conversation with Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. "I’ve had two of my friends now get injured from that. I just think it needs to be done with, honestly. I think it, you know, they need to really look into it and invest in a better playing surface for their team and teams around the league."

Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers previously praised the synthetic turf installed at MetLife Stadium following the 2022 campaign, but that was before Rodgers went down with a torn Achilles during a home game on Sept. 11. Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson later called the surface at MetLife "garbage," and retired stars such as Tiki Barber and Boomer Esiason have campaigned for the Jets and New York Giants to do better regarding what players compete on each season.

"Turf is — it’s a hard surface," Holland told Florio. "There's no give. Like grass, there’s give and it works with — when you cut, you can feel your cleats sink into the ground. Turf is, it’s like playing on — not playing on asphalt, but in some terms, it is. It’s tough on your joints and your knees and your ankles, and when you hit the ground, there’s no shock absorption to the ground. There’s none of that. But on grass there is."

While Holland added that "playing on grass for me always feels better," Rodgers somewhat defended MetLife Stadium earlier this week during an appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show." Regardless of what players think, the harsh truth is turf isn't going anywhere as long as league rules allow team owners to save cash by not having to maintain all-grass surfaces during seasons.