An NFL player is returning to his old home this weekend – and he’s dreading having to play in the ‘s****y’ stadium.
Offensive lineman Mekhi Becton was drafted by the Jets in 2020 with the No. 11 overall pick, and spent four seasons with the franchise before moving onto the Eagles this past offseason.
And as Philly travels to East Rutherford this weekend to face the Giants in an NFC East clash, Becton won’t be looking forward to returning.
‘I don’t wanna play in that s****y stadium. It’s bad,’ he told CBS Sports. ‘Everything is just bad about that stadium. I don’t really like it. I’m just glad I only gotta do it one time a year. Just gotta go in there, do my 1-11 and go home.’
Becton went on to criticize the much-maligned turf at MetLife, which has seen a raft of players suffer non-contact injuries over the years.
Mekhi Becton said that MetLife Stadium – his former home field – was s****y in an interview
The MetLife Stadium turf – which was changed last year – has been widely criticized
The former University of Louisville standout did not get hurt himself on the Jets and Giants’ shared field, but played just one game from 2021 to 2022 due to a knee injury suffered in Carolina.
‘You can just tell the difference like if you was to get on that turf and (then) go on a different turf,’ Becton continued. ‘You can tell. It’s a night and day difference in turf. It just feels lifted. There’s a lot of things that doesn’t feel right about that turf.’
While MetLife switched from an artificial turf called UBU Speed S5-M to FieldTurf Core HD before the 2023 season, Jets star wideout Garrett Wilson still branded the playing surface ‘garbage’ last year.
The comment came after Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles in his first game as a Jet.
Becton spent four seasons with the Jets after being drafted by them No. 11 overall in 2020
Becton’s dislike of MetLife Stadium is not unique, as the stadium was voted NFL players’ least favorite place to play in an anonymous poll from The Athletic last year.
A significant 18.4 percent of player respondents named MetLife as the worst stadium, with several calling out the playing surface.
MetLife will actually be implementing grass soon, just not necessarily for NFL players, as the stadium will convert its playing surface for the 2026 World Cup.
