New York Jets defensive tackle Harrison Phillips has joined calls for NFL stadiums to transition to natural grass playing surfaces, inspired by the switch to grass at MetLife Stadium for recent World Cup events. Phillips, an active participant in the NFL Players Association, expressed his hope that NFL teams can adopt grass fields across all venues.
MetLife Stadium is slated to revert to artificial turf for the upcoming football season. "It's a very complicated argument, but I want to stand firm that players prefer good, natural grass," Phillips stated. He acknowledged that while maintaining grass can be challenging, especially in colder climates and with shared stadium use by multiple teams like the Jets and Giants, he believes a solution is attainable.
Phillips indicated that Jets owner Woody Johnson is potentially open to discussing the change. He pointed to the team's investment in a remodeled training facility as evidence of Johnson's commitment to player well-being and support. "I've been blown away by how much our owner wants to support our players," Phillips said. "We're going to have one of the best facilities not just in the National Football League, but in all of professional sports. That's an owner that says, I want to win and I want to do whatever the players need for that."
He added that if natural grass can be proven feasible and beneficial for player health, he believes the owner would seriously consider the proposal. "If there is a way to get the players what we want and natural grass is feasible and we can show that that's going to make us a healthier team, I believe our owner would definitely hear that out."
In other team news, quarterback Geno Smith completed all of his passes during team drills and seven-on-seven repetitions in a recent practice, throwing four touchdowns in red zone drills. Coach Aaron Glenn noted Smith's dedication and his strong rapport with offensive coordinator Frank Reich, emphasizing that Smith continues to expand his knowledge of the team's offensive schemes. The Jets also announced the signing of defensive lineman Ben Barten and the waiving of long snapper Garrison Grimes. The team had an off day Sunday, with their first padded practice scheduled for Monday.