Will injuries ruin the NFL?

[tinopuno]

The Birds' have been decimated by injuries this season. They're not alone. I don't know the precise numbers, but it seems that every week another 5 to 10 NFL players (league-wide) go on IR.

Most will return next year. For some, however, their careers will be over or greatly diminished. The impact on team success of players lost to injury is often devastating.

Are serious injuries on the increase? I don't know where to go to find accurate stats, but I have to believe the rate of serious injuries is increasing. Why would this be the case?

IMO, it's the result of very basic law of physics. Force = mass x acceleration. Without any question, players at all positions have become steadily bigger and, generally, faster. The violent impact of bodies crashing into one another...a big part of the games' appeal to fans...has inevitably grown more physically damaging.

Some might argue that today's NFL player is better conditioned and has better equipment than in the past.While players are probably stronger and in better overall physical condition today than in the past, I don't believe soft connective tissue (ligaments and tendons) and cartilage structures (especially in the knee) benefit in any substantial way from better conditioning and increases in musculature.

And as far as equipment, the helmets may have been improved but many, especially the skill players, have dispensed with protective pads in pursuit of greater speed. Do any wide outs wear knee or hip pads anymore?

Even in interior line play, where acceleration is less an issue than in tackling/blocking in the open field, the massive size of today's lineman falling on vulnerable knees and ankles is often ruinous.

What's the solution? I don't think there is one other than larger rosters. That's not much comfort to the individual player who's season/career comes to an abrupt end on one play... or for the fans of that team.

[Pliny]

Just today I had a Dallas fan tell me that the Eagles must be doing something wrong, because the Eagle players are always getting injured (compared to Dallas).

Dallas has been abnormally lucky this year IMO. They just lost their starting OT (Columbo). But, that is the first player that they have lost this year.

[FRESH]

LD says it's THE CURSE......but perhaps the curse is spreading.

I think it is just an evolution of sorts. Perhaps one that needs to backtrack. It may have to do with the competitive nature of things and how players are being pushed now. The Eagles have often had a lot of injuries even just trying to get thru the camps/pre-season. Players form other teams that come here talk about the pac and nature of our practices being more rigorous and intense than where they came from. But regardless, footbal used to be a seasonal sport. It's really not any more. The seasons have gotten longer and the offseason training never ends. There is not as much of a period of recuperation and recovery for the beating these guys put on their joints, etc. Speed and strength training are great, and the equipment has gotten more advanced and more efective while shedding weight. But the human anatomy has not changed. Expect things to get worse in regards to injuries as the game comtinues to get dragged out longer, and more competive.

[andrewaters]

There has to be a scientific explanation. I've said for years the Eagles should look into their offseason program to figure out why they have so many injuries year after year. We are one of the most injured teams in the league. Don't know if it is maybe because we pass the ball a lot so our games take longer and have more snaps which ups the chances of injury but year after year we are at the top of the league when it comes to games lost to injury.

[Jukin]

Rules and equipment changes can only aid in preventing injuries but there's very little that anyone can do to really reduce the number of serious injuries that occur. This is a violent game with 250+ pound men running into each other at full speed - something's going to give....

[sfphillyfan]

LT, there's nothing you can do to overcome the flawed design of ligaments and joints not keeping up with mass. Unless humans evolve in the next 10 years (which is impossible of course - it takes hundreds of thousands) to have better cartilage, you'll see more injuries.

BUT... that being said, it will not ruin the NFL. There will be better medicine. Better treatment. And ultimately, there's always more players coming out of college to replace them.

I think what's gonna ruin the NFL is the shitty development of QBs in this league. A lot of that has to do with max guaranteed (effectively) contracts to top QB picks and when they don't pan out, they're still playing. And unstable coaching carousels. (Alex Smith had something like a new coach or QB coach every year he's in the league.)

Look around. Injuries aren't really killing the league. Most players besides stars are anonymous and can be subbed in. But bad QB play is rampant.

[balto-eaglefan]

Injuries maybe, but going without a salary cap would ruin the NFL. Oh the NFL would go on, but a lot of franchises would move every couple of years, and the same old teams would go to the playoffs year after year.

[leifdawg]

LT, there's nothing you can do to overcome the flawed design of ligaments and joints not keeping up with mass. Unless humans evolve in the next 10 years (which is impossible of course - it takes hundreds of thousands) to have better cartilage, you'll see more injuries.

BUT... that being said, it will not ruin the NFL. There will be better medicine. Better treatment. And ultimately, there's always more players coming out of college to replace them.

I think what's gonna ruin the NFL is the shitty development of QBs in this league. A lot of that has to do with max guaranteed (effectively) contracts to top QB picks and when they don't pan out, they're still playing. And unstable coaching carousels. (Alex Smith had something like a new coach or QB coach every year he's in the league.)

Look around. Injuries aren't really killing the league. Most players besides stars are anonymous and can be subbed in. But bad QB play is rampant.

The proliferation of the spread offense in division 1 probably hasn't helped the number of good QBs in the NFL.

[sfphillyfan]

I think it also is about coaches falling in love with "physical specimens" with cannons for arms and incredible speed for players their size. What they fail to take into account is that some of those QBs are morons. Every coach thinks and convinces GMs that they are just raw and they can be coached up to be great QBs.

When a coach sees someone chuck a ball 100 yards, they can't help but fall in love. This has been going on since Jeff George.

You need some balance of physical gifts and smarts. So while Ryan Fitzpatrick and his Harvard education isn't gonna win you a lot of games, someone like Jamarcus Russell isn't either.

Maybe Kevin Kolb is our happy medium!

[Eagle60]

LT, there's nothing you can do to overcome the flawed design of ligaments and joints not keeping up with mass. Unless humans evolve in the next 10 years (which is impossible of course - it takes hundreds of thousands) to have better cartilage, you'll see more injuries.

BUT... that being said, it will not ruin the NFL. There will be better medicine. Better treatment. And ultimately, there's always more players coming out of college to replace them.

I think what's gonna ruin the NFL is the shitty development of QBs in this league. A lot of that has to do with max guaranteed (effectively) contracts to top QB picks and when they don't pan out, they're still playing. And unstable coaching carousels. (Alex Smith had something like a new coach or QB coach every year he's in the league.)

Look around. Injuries aren't really killing the league. Most players besides stars are anonymous and can be subbed in. But bad QB play is rampant.

The only thing that can ever stop the greatest game in the world is greed. The players come in waves, and really are just uniforms stuffed with players. There is an endless supply of them. IF the owners insist on expanding to Europe and the length of the season, this could kill the game. There just aren't enough QBs to captain all these ships.

[MDFAN]

Injuries are just excuses-- how could that hurt the game?

Of course that is tongue in cheek, but injuries won't ruin the league--- to much money at stake. IMO what might ruin the game quicker would be guaranteed contracts like baseball has ----- with no cap. That could ruin the game.

[NoDakIggle]

Injuries are a problem but certainly won't ruin the league. Others willl just step in and take over. Myself I think the 'year round' season is a contributing factor. First off, players push their bodies to the limit. Chances for injuries increase with the increased off season training camps, pre-season, and season. Not saying they should take five months off to get fat and lazy but it is a razorsharp edge between making it and not making it.
Not the only issue but certainly a factor IMM.

[YourPalChrisMal]

Injuries will never "kill the league" any more than "parity" will kill the league. People watch because they like to watch a good game, and route for their team. Where a star gets hurt, a feel-good story will emerge. Where a feel-good story doesn't emerge, opportunities will open for another team, making THEM the story. The natural cycle of sports.

If people watched the NFL only because that's where the most talented players are playing, no one would watch college football. No one would go to watch their local high school teams. People watch football because it's fun, and as long as teams are competitive, it doesn't matter of star players are getting hurt.