Story byJoe Schad, Palm Beach PostFri, December 5, 2025 at 11:53 AM UTC·4 min readMIAMI GARDENS — Miami Dolphins safety Ashtyn Davis was playing for the New York Jets when Jaelan Phillips (Achilles) and Jevon Holland (both knees) sustained injuries in a 2023 game at MetLife Stadium. Phillips was lost for the season with a non-contact injury on the artificial turf surface. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHolland, who missed four games after his injuries, then called the MetLife playing surface "trash."Davis was in the Dolphins locker room this week, before a Dolphins at Jets game, when asked about that game and the playing surface, which has been subject to criticism from some players."I actually had a season-ending injury at MetLife my rookie year," Davis recalled "My cleat got stuck in a turf and I had a torn Lisfranc (foot) injury. So yeah, I definitely prefer grass."MetLife Stadium's field has had a negative reputation among some NFL players."When my other friends or other people from around the league would come play us, a lot of people were skeptical about our turf or were weary of our playing surface," Davis said. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementMetLife Stadium turf has players 'skeptical,' 'weary'In 2023, after Davis' injury, but before Phillips' and Holland's, the Jets and Giants replaced maligned UBU Sports Speed turf with a new FieldTurf Core system, an updated synthetic turf designed to reduce injuries. But in general, the NFLPA has pushed for more natural grass surfaces to replace artificial surfaces. On Thursday, Dec. 4, ESPN first reported the NFL and NFL Players Association have agreed to a new model for selecting playing surfaces in stadiums, one that will require teams to choose from an approved set of manufacturers and styles for both natural and synthetic fields. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe league will conduct extensive testing.