NFL football is fun, exciting, and breathtaking. A lot transpires when NFL players suit up and go to battle on the football field. The most unfortunate thing that happens is injuries. Injuries occur each Sunday, Monday, and Thursday. Fans are irritated and devastated when they hear about injuries. Some injuries like pulled hamstrings are minor and players can come back from them. While other injuries like torn ACLs, Achilles, and MCLs end players’ seasons. Injuries show how violent the game of football is and should be written about.
Players get hurt all the time in the NFL. Injuries can linger and affect a player’s performance on the gridiron. Colt’s star running back Jonathan Taylor hasn’t had the same burst and explosiveness because of a lingering ankle injury. Quarterbacks struggle to throw the ball when they sustain shoulder injuries. These are just some examples of the impact injuries have in the NFL.
Injury Timeline
Various types of injuries have been documented since 2015. The NFL’s health and player website has recorded concussions, ACL tears, and MCL tears. According to the player health and safety website, 1,111 concussions have been recorded since 2015. Over 200 cases of torn ACLs and 683 MCL tears have also been documented. The numbers are significant because it shows how many players are getting injured each season and the severity of the injuries.
The eye-popping numbers don’t stop there. Throughout the season players are put on injured reserve for serious injuries. According to the Football Database, players placed on Injured Reserve are ineligible to play for that team for the remainder of the 2022 NFL season. There are currently 259 players on injured reserve which is astonishing.
The Mental Side of Injuries
Football is a tough sport and players have to be mentally strong. Being strong mentally helps players deal with injuries. Players are thought to be tough and play through their injuries. Quarterback Carson Wentz played with two torn knee ligaments and Philip Rivers played through a torn ACL in the AFC Championship game. Mental pressures have been documented in a 2022 report from Fox News. Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf said,” Dealing with this job, we have a lot of stress and a lot of pressure to be able to suit up on Sunday.” Metcalf also said,” We have to deal with not only stress and anxiety and depression with all of that, but we always have to deal with nagging injuries throughout the whole year.” The report illustrates how hard it is to play in the NFL and what players have to go through. Could you imagine being in an NFL player’s shoes?
Importance of depth
Teams get crushed by injuries. However, injuries are a part of the game and teams have to manage their injuries. Teams have to build depth on their roster in order to stay competitive. Depth is built through the draft and free-agent acquisitions. You have to be able to win without your star players because injuries are guaranteed to happen. The teams that manage their injuries the best usually come out on top. Hopefully, your favorite team can manage its injuries well.
