The old MetLife Stadium turf was unforgiving and unloved by players. Rodgers went down on the new turf after four plays Monday.
Aaron Rodgers was delivering his first Jets drive and had been put under pressure on three occasions as his offensive line showed gaps. The exposed quarterback was ruthlessly sacked by Leonard Floyd and remained seated on the turf. He stood up and then sat back down as he would become the latest victim of the MetLife Turf.
The Jets traded for Rodgers because they were built to win a Super Bowl and needed solid quarterback play to put them in contention. Now, the team might not even make the playoffs and players are not only upset about this but also about the stadium they just played in.
Many Jets players lashed out after the Jets defeated the Buffalo Bills on Monday night.
“We wanted the NFL to protect the players with grass fields, but the NFL is more worried about making money,” wide receiver Randall Cobb—an on-and-off teammate of Rodgers since 2011—said according to The Athletic. “Profit over people, it’s always been the case. I’ve never been a fan of turf. That’s my stance.”
New York running back Breece Hall expressed similar sentiments.
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“Grass. That’s my answer. We want grass,” he said.
Jets cornerback D.J. Reed continued the chorus Tuesday morning.
“We need real grass for all our stadiums,” Reed posted on social media.
It is a huge blow for the Jets after the 39-year-old quarterback arrived with much optimism this summer. A Super Bowl winner and NFL veteran, the Jets had ambitions of challenging for a Championship with Rodgers at the helm.
While they won this game, they might have lost the war if Zach Wilson cannot play any better than he did last year or they can’t find a veteran quarterback to come in and help.
An Achilles tendon tear usually takes around nine months to get back on the field, with Rodgers set to undergo surgery. It is up to him if he truly wants to try and come back from this.
