Injuries are a part of the NFL, but many injuries are avoidable, with many of the league’s stadiums causing plenty more injuries than others. So here are the 5 worst NFL stadiums that cause the most injuries:

MetLife Stadium:

Some NFL fans will say that MetLife Stadium is cursed, but MetLife is the place where ACLs go to die, not because of magic, but because of artificial turf. Every year, a new NFL player ends their season thanks to the MetLife turf. This season, it was Malik Nabers suffering a season-ending ACL tear. 2023 featured Aaron Rodgers ending his season after just a few snaps. Sterling Shepeard suffered a season-ending ACL tear in 2022, and Nick Bosa and Solomon Thomas both ended their 2020 seasons on the MetLife turf.

State Farm Stadium:

While State Farm Stadium does use grass, it still leads the NFL with the most injuries per game, as the field’s surface issues have been a major complaint among players and fans. The problem with using real grass for an indoor stadium is that the humidity caused by thousands of people packed in an indoor area will make the field very moist. The issue came to more public attention when the State Farm Stadium grass was a slippery disaster during Super Bowl LVII, which countless players on both teams complained about.

Harrison Butker and Trent McDuffie both suffered ankle injuries due to the slippery conditions, as well as Jake Elliot slipping on a kickoff. The players were having visible difficulties finding their footing throughout the game, but the field’s conditions haven’t improved much since. This season, Cardinals RB James Connor suffered a season-ending ACL tear, and Kyler Murray had his 2022 season cut short thanks to a non-contact injury, where he lost his footing on the grass.

Nissan Stadium:

Nissan Stadium isn’t often a place that is known for causing injuries, but its 3rd-highest 5.88 injuries per game make it fly under the radar as one of the league’s most dangerous fields to play on. While Nissan Stadium’s grass was notoriously dangerous and injury-prone, its switch to synthetic turf in 2023 hasn’t helped much.

The field’s previous grass was more dangerous than most NFL stadiums that use turf, with the Titans losing half of their 2022 roster to injuries, inspiring the change in surface material. However, the stadium’s current turf still causes more injuries than most NFL stadiums because turf generally causes more injuries. Week 2 of the 2024 season was a major example of this, with Jets’ defensive players Jermaine Johnson and C.J. Mosley suffering season-ending non-contact injuries in the same game.

NRG Stadium:

The artificial turf at NRG Stadium has been a nightmare for players for decades, and even today, it still allows the 4th-highest rate of injuries per game. In 2016, former Texans linebacker Domeco Ryans filed a lawsuit against the Texans, seeking over $10 million because an Achilles tendon tear he suffered on the NRG turf essentially ended his career.

Punter Brett Harmon and Patriots receiver Wes Welker both suffered season-ending knee injuries at NRG Stadium, but the Texans did not care or do anything about it. In 2014, No.1 overall pick Jadeveon Clowney ended his season with another non-contact injury at NRG, and most recently, receiver Tank Dell tore his ACL, MCL, and LCL.

Caesars Superdome:

Saints’ players Chris Olave, Alvin Kamara, and Michael Thomas consistently struggled to stay on the field over the years due to injuries, and their stadium’s turf is a significant reason why. Caesars Superdome ranks as the 5th-highest average injuries per game among NFL stadiums, with the NFLPA voicing their complaints about the stadium’s turf. Former Saints running back Mark Ingram even stated that the Superdome uses one of the lowest-rated turfs. Considering that the Superdome was built next to the Girod Cemetery, with the stadium’s parking lot occupying the site where the cemetery formerly stood, perhaps the stadium is actually cursed.