San Francisco 49ers star running back Raheem Mostert busted out in the open field for an 80-yard touchdown to open Week 2 against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. Like a lot of his fellow 49ers players, Mostert would not be able to finish that game.
The electric running back suffered a sprained MCL in the very same game that saw Jimmy Garoppolo (ankle sprain), Nick Bosa (torn ACL) and Solomon Thomas (torn ACL) also suffer serious injuries.
Last week’s 49ers game against the Giants at the very same MetLife Stadium forced tight end Jordan Reed on to injured reserve after he also suffered a knee injury. In between, the NFL had cleared the field for action.
We’re now seeing this issue pop up again during the Jets’ “Thursday Night Football” matchup against the Denver Broncos. Jets rookie wide receiver Lawrence Cager suffered an awful-looking lower-body injury in the first half of the game.
As you can easily see in the video, the turf at MetLife Stadium popped up and caught Cager as he was attempting to make a play against Broncos corner Michael Ojemudia. That’s not natural. That’s the turf.
Earlier in the game, Jets quarterback Sam Darnold briefly exited after he hit his shoulder hard on the turf. This is obviously becoming an issue.
The above-mentioned Mostert completely agreed with this sentiment.
Mostert specifically called out the NFL for allowing games to be played on this turf. He’s obviously not too happy about it. Those watching “Thursday Night Football” from the confines of their homes agreed.
It’s not even a joking matter at this point. These players are putting their livelihoods to play during a worldwide pandemic. The least the NFL can do is make sure that their work environment is safe. Is that too much to ask?