Jaelan Phillips injury: Dolphins’ Raheem Mostert rips MetLife Stadium’s turf, says ‘something has to change’

Raheem Mostert is the latest NFL player to rail against MetLife Stadium’s playing surface. The Dolphins running back sounded off after teammate Jaelan Phillips suffered a serious Achilles injury during Friday’s blowout win over the Jets. 

“You saw what happened to [Aaron] Rodgers,” Mostert said, via the Palm Beach Post.  “Very first game in the first series. It just sucks. … We’ve got to do something about this turf and this playing surface. Obviously it’s still a major problem. … Something has to change.”

Phillips alluded to his injury via social media while promising that he will bounce back. 

MetLife did change playing surfaces this offseason, going from slit film to an updated version of FieldTurf, which claims to provide a safer alternative when compared to other turf fields. 

Despite the change, several notable players have suffered serious injuries at MetLife this season, starting with Rodgers in Week 1 and Phillips getting injured on Friday night. 

Last season, Ravens coach John Harbaugh criticized the MetLife’s playing surface after cornerback Kyle Fuller tore an ACL in a Week 1 game against the Jets. 

“Everybody in this league should do everything they can to put the best surface out there,” Harbaugh said at the time, via ESPN. “How much is invested in the players who go out there and play, and our league really is a player-driven league, and we want those guys to have the best of the best, especially surfaces to play on. … That turf was matted down, it was packed down, it was a little tight.”

The 49ers suffered five significant injuries in a game played against the Jets back in 2020. Among the players who were injured in that game were Nick Bosa and Solomon Thomas. Both players’ injuries were season-ending.