Injuries In the NFL

Injuries occur during football games and practices due to the combination of quick speeds and full contact. Due to the force needed to either bring an opponent to the ground or resist being brought to the ground, football players, regardless of protective equipment, are susceptible to injuries anywhere on their bodies.

Soft tissue injuries, such as calf, hamstring, quadricep, and adductor strains, have increased dramatically during the 2021 season compared to the 2015-2019 seasons. During the first half of the 2017-18 season, players were forced to leave the field due to an average of 477 injuries. By 2020, there had been 555 injuries, up 16% from the previous three-year average and more than 60 more than any of those years separately. Rates on injury continue to rise as we are in week 13 of the 2021 season. 

As we reach the last third of the 2021 NFL regular season, no team is completely healthy, but the impact of injuries differs around the league. Since losing quarterback Jameis Winston to a season-ending ACL tear in his left knee in a win on October 31, the New Orleans Saints haven't been the same and have not been able to secure a win since.

The Seattle Seahawks struggled when quarterback Russell Wilson suffered a finger injury in Week 5. The Baltimore Ravens began to see issues with injuries very early on in the season. Running backs J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards both suffered season-ending injuries, and Baltimore has subsequently lost numerous more significant starters. Organizations like the Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas Cowboys, on the other hand, have rebounded from serious injuries and have been playing tough through the ups and downs of their season. 

Some players are more injury prone than others and this includes running back Christian Mccaffrey. McCaffrey's hamstring injury will most certainly keep him out for a few weeks, and as terrible as it is to admit, he is becoming an injury-prone player. The injury to Christian McCaffrey raises more questions than it answers. Before last year, the former first-round selection had never missed a game. Injuries also take a huge mental toll on players and their success later in their career.