After seven weeks of action in the NFL, some major injuries have already influenced the season’s outcome. Every team has felt the injury bug from returning stars to role players in some way this year.
49ers running back Christian McCaffery’s injury status has been arguably the most notable story this year, with the star running back claiming to be able to play on week one but being put on IR soon after. Current reports state that last year’s Offensive Player of the Year is dealing with achilles tendonitis on both ankles, making many wonder if he will return in the 49er’s 2024 campaign. Unfortunately for the returning NFC Champions, injuries to their franchise wide receiver tandem of Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel have also taken them away from the field, with the former out with tears in his ACL and MCL.
But the 49ers aren’t the only team from last year’s Super Bowl dealing with major injuries. The Kansas City Chiefs have also lost key players to their offense early this season. Running back Isiah Pacheco and wide receiver Rashee Rice are both on IR with major injuries. This has caused some struggles for the Chiefs’ offense, which may try to sign a receiver before the trade deadline on November 5th.
The other competitive teams in the league have also had their fair share of injuries. Lions pass rusher Aiden Hutchinson went down last Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys with a broken fibula and is expected to miss significant time. Houston Texans’ receiver Nico Collins is out with a hamstring injury and is still on IR, and recently the Washington Commanders’ rookie phenom Jayden Daniels was taken out of the game Sunday with an injury to his ribs, though his return is more optimistic than most.
One of the biggest injuries that circulated the league Sunday was the Achilles tear of Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson. Watson, who has faced many lawsuits over the past couple years, has led the Browns to a dismal 1-5 record in the 2024 season. This accumulated into reports of Browns fans cheering when Watson went down, leading to backlash from other athletes and Cleveland supporters.
In another controversial, but very different situation, Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is expected to return this season after suffering his third concussion a few weeks ago. While many NFL fans have expressed concern and advocated for him to not return to the NFL, Tagovailoa has been persistent in his decision to keep playing and looks to do so to aid the struggling Miami Dolphins.
Like every NFL season, injuries will impact how the game is played and who will be contending for a Super Bowl in February. Though many adjustments have been made in the offseason to try and prevent them, such as the introduction of the “Guardian” caps to be used in games, it is so far looking to make little improvements for the league’s players as injuries stay heavily prevalent in today’s game.
