Tiki Barber rips NFL, Giants, Jets over MetLife Stadium turf

Retired running back and CBS Sports NFL commentator Tiki Barber blasted the league after he watched in person as multiple New York Giants and New York Jets players suffered injuries playing on the rained-soaked MetLife Stadium turf on Sunday afternoon. 

"If the NFL, the Giants and the Jets as well, don’t start screaming about this turf, then they don’t give a damn about player safety," Barber ranted during Monday's edition of the WFAN "Evan and Tiki" program, per Ryan Chichester of Audacy. "This conversation about the turf has been going on for at least three years…they changed it this offseason, I guess, but it’s still horrendous." 

The Giants and Jets installed a new synthetic turf this past offseason and, according to ESPN, are the only teams using the FieldTurf Core System for the ongoing campaign. Some NFL insiders suggested the MetLife Stadium surface was to blame for Jets starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers suffering a torn Achilles in the Week 1 home game against the Buffalo Bills, and outlets such as Pro Football Talk repeatedly mention that players prefer competing on all-grass fields compared to turf. 

It's widely assumed owners embrace turf to save money that otherwise would be spent maintaining grass fields throughout a season. Barber pointed out that owners are ultimately costing themselves by losing players to injuries that potentially wouldn't occur on grass surfaces. 

"Whatever the cost is [to change it], isn’t that worth the maybe $500M of salary on your team? You are putting that investment in each player at risk every time they play on this terrible surface," Barber explained on Monday. "Every single week, I feel like someone is getting hurt on this turf. If the Giants and the Jets are serious about player safety, and the NFL, they have to change that turf to grass. I don’t care how much it costs. It’s worth it in the lost players' salaries. You’re paying guys to be on [injured reserve.]"

Grass-versus-turf debates likely aren't going anywhere anytime soon unless owners unexpectedly change their minds about playing surfaces. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN noted in a piece published on Oct. 17 that NFL Vice President of Health and Safety Jeff Miller said earlier this month that the league should want "to limit the number of different surfaces that our clubs play on" so players can be used to fields found at stadiums, but such recommendations won't do anything to protect athletes through this coming February.