Giants Led the League in this Injury-Related Stat

The data shows that of the 51 ACLs suffered by players last season, the Giants had six such injuries, one more than the Denver Broncos, who came in at five.

This is the second year in a row that the Giants have finished as the league leader in ACL injuries, per the data. In 2021, the Giants finished with five ACL injuries, bringing their total to 11 ACLs over the last two seasons.

Although the data doesn’t show where the ACL injuries have occurred for each team, there have long been rumblings about the MetLife Stadium turf, which was replaced before the 2020 season.

The field has drawn complaints over its stickiness, the most vocal of which came from the 49ers following a 2020 regular season game against the Jets, who also play their home games at MetLife Stadium. 

In that game, the 49ers lost defensive linemen Joey Bosa and Solomon Thomas to torn ACLs and quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to a high ankle sprain.

Those Giants who suffered torn ACLs in 2022 include linebacker Darrian Beavers and offensive lineman Marcus McKethan, both of whom were injured in the preseason; and receivers Sterling Shepard and Wan’Dale Robinson, defensive lineman D.J. Davidson, and cornerback Aaron Robinson.

Beavers, McKethan, Shepard, Wan’Dale Robinson, and Aaron Robinson all suffered their respective ACL injuries on MetLife Stadium’s artificial turf. Davidson suffered his injury on a grass field in the team’s Week 5 game in London.

The Giants and Jets were exploring the replacement of the current turf, which is the slit-film variety. Slit-film turf blades have net-like openings that allow for the turf to expand, the surfaces usually being thicker, and are thought to be longer lasting than monofilament blades, which more closely resemble real grass.