The Patriots sufficiently disliked the the playing surface they’d installed in May to remove it after two preseason games, one practice. and one regular-season game. The NFL Players Association doesn’t like what they replaced it with.
“Player Health and Safety remains a top priority of the NFLPA and we sent our field expert to Gillette Stadium to evaluate the newly installed FieldTurf,” the NFLPA said in a statement issued to PFT. “The Gmax numbers that reflect surface hardness came back extremely low, indicating a very soft field; however, the testing results passed the NFL Mandatory Practices for field surface testing.”
The NFLPA had specific advice for players who will be performing on that surface.
“We have encouraged players to consult their equipment managers to ensure they are not wearing cleats that will penetrate too deep into the surface, which would increase the risk of lower extremity injuries. The NFL Foot & Ankle Committee has coordinated extensive research on athletic shoe safety and performance. Based on the results, the Committee has provided information distributed to all clubs.
“We will continue to monitor field testing and work to establish evidence-based standards for the safety and performance of NFL playing surfaces across the League.”
The Patriots removed the prior surface because it was too soft. The NFLPA had concerns about that one, too.