Sports Then and Now

Football may always be fun to watch, but unfortunately, it is not always pleasant to play. According to research by the United States Safety Commission, football is the third most dangerous sport, so it is no surprise that members of the NFL regularly deal with injuries. Players get hurt basically every day in professional football. The dangers of the game are almost endless, however, these five injuries are the most common reasons for injury in the NFL.

Knee Injuries

An analysis of injury data from the NFL shows that knee injuries are the most common football injury by far. This happens because the players are often hit right in the middle of pivoting and making other risky knee movements. Though it is possible to recover from knee injuries, it takes quite a bit of time. In some cases, players cannot continue playing afterwards. Depending on the situation knee injuries can be very serious and even require surgery and physical therapy.

Ankle Injuries

The ankle is also a delicate joint in the leg, and it is therefore the second most likely source of injury. Ankle injuries tend to happen during improper tackles, such as the outlawed “horse collar tackle,” so some players end up needing lawyers, such as those at Ahlander Injury Law, to seek damages after another player hurts their ankle. Injuries like this can also be serious depending on the situation, but if you get it looked at as soon as possible you should be able to have a steady recovery.

Upper Leg Injuries

The powerful muscles of the upper thigh are at risk during many football moves if a player does not properly warm up beforehand. Therefore, over 100 players suffered from hamstring tears while overworking their muscles. Other common upper leg injuries include damage to the thigh tendons and quadriceps. These can take a lot of time to recover from.

Shoulder Joint Injuries

Though they are the fourth most common football injury, most shoulder issues are just dislocated joints that are healed very quickly. Shoulder injuries are normally only season-ending or career-ending if a player is a powerful thrower who suffers from a damaged joint. Although injuries like this may be able to heal a bit faster it is still essential for players to have their injury looked at right away. That can help prevent things from getting any worse.

Head Injuries

Football players wear a lot of headgear which may be the reason that this is only the fifth most common source of injury on the field. However, almost seven percent of all injuries in the NFL are head injuries, and these types of injuries can easily damage the brain. Amid growing concerns about the negative effects of repeated concussions, the NFL is scrambling to reduce head injuries in the sport. Although this is not the most common injury it is definitely still one of the most dangerous. There are a lot of repercussions that come with a head injury. That is why it is so important for the players to always be wearing their helmets and not hit other players in the head. Luckily they have been doing a really good job lately with trying to avoid injuries like this. There are even rules in the game that help prevent it.

Fortunately, most of these injuries are not life threatening. However, being in the wrong place at the wrong time can cause career-ending injuries for many football players. Though head injuries continue to be the biggest cause of concern, it seems like players should actually be trying to protect their legs.