10 Biggest Injuries That Have Shaped The 2026 Nfl Season

It has been a tough half season for injuries in the NFL.

It's sometimes difficult to rate just how injurious it has been, relative to other seasons, but there are some clear indications of it. Through Week 9 of the 2025 season, there were 171 players on injured reserve. That number, through Week 9 of this season, is a whopping 280 — a nearly 64% increase.

Of course, that doesn't tell us who is on IR, how serious the injuries are or how many later came off the list. But even casual NFL observers know how hard the quarterback position has been hit.

There are currently five projected starting quarterbacks on injured reserve, including a former MVP (whose backup is also on IR) and a former Super Bowl MVP. Sam Darnold suffered an injury on the first series of the season and missed time in two different stretches for two different injuries.

Amid this carnage, some injuries have hurt more than others. Let's take a look at the most damaging ones that have helped shape the story of this NFL season's first half.

Jalen Hurts, QB, Eagles

Hurts' diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in his calf and bilateral pulmonary emboli (blood clots in both lungs) landed him on injured reserve. Without question, this was a massive development that raised questions about Hurts' football future and, even if he's eventually cleared to play again, his future in Philadelphia.

The Eagles have been stockpiling draft picks for the 2027 and 2028 draft cycles, and it's hard not to think that the uncertainty of their former Super Bowl MVP is at least part of that thinking, especially since the team made two notable trades — A.J. Brown and Cam Jurgens — before Hurts' diagnosis. 

Hurts' play had leveled off over the past year-plus, but his replacements have fared far worse in his place. The Eagles started the season 2-0 but now have lost seven straight, the past four with Hurts out of the lineup.

Lamar Jackson, QB, Ravens

First, Jackson suffered a high-ankle sprain, knocking him out of the lineup for three games. In that span, the Ravens went from 3-1 to last place in the AFC North. Then, on his first snap back in the lineup, Jackson suffered a broken thumb against the Bills and could be lost for the season.

Jackson reportedly has told teammates he plans to return before the end of the season, which offers a glimmer of hope. But getting him back by Week 16 is optimistic, and the Ravens could be well out of the division race. The injury also compelled the team to trade for Jacoby Brissett in a deal that included a pick swap. 

Jackson's future with the Ravens also remains murky. The injuries have started to add up, and after a spring and summer of failed negotiations over a contract extension, it's unclear if either side's thinking has changed about a long-term future in Baltimore.

This injury could have a lasting effect on the relationship between Jackson and the Ravens, but it still would be a surprise if the team sought to trade him in the offseason.

Jaxson Dart, QB, Giants

In Week 2, Dart suffered a knee injury that included a torn meniscus and additional ligament damage. It was seemingly a major setback for a developing team. The good news is that with a 4-6 month recovery timetable, Dart should be ready for at least part of the offseason program, if not all of it.

The injury prompted the Giants to trade for J.J. McCarthy, which has changed the situation in a fascinating way. McCarthy has played better than he did in Minnesota in a small sample size and has at least prompted a conversation about how the Giants will handle the situation next season.

Dart likely remains the team's quarterback, and having McCarthy can be viewed as a "good problem." But it also could fuel some competition there, depending on how McCarthy plays down the stretch and how Dart's rehab progresses.

De'Von Achane, RB, Dolphins

It might be easy to dismiss a very good player such as Achane on a bad team. But we are talking about someone who in 2025 led the NFL in yards per carry and was sixth in all-purpose yards.

The Dolphins rebuffed offseason trade interest in Achane and planned to make him one of their offensive centerpieces. With a first-year head coach and new staff, a new starting quarterback in Malik Willis (with six starts coming into the season) and an extremely young set of receivers, Achane's value to the Dolphins was immense.

And who knows? Had Achane thrived this season rather than tearing his ACL in Week 3, it's possible that Miami could have changed its tune and put Achane up on the trade block. The Dolphins were never expected to be contenders, but his injury has significantly upped the team's degree of difficulty.

Laremy Tunsil, OT, Commanders

We had multiple Commanders injuries from which to choose, including Jayden Daniels missing multiple games, Terry McLaurin being out for the season, or Daron Payne and Javon Kinlaw going down before Washington could even consider trading them.

But let's go with Tunsil, whose injury seemed to foretell the Commanders' compounding issues this season. He suffered torn triceps in training camp, underwent surgery and was placed on IR. Though a late-season return is possible, it feels unlikely.

When Tunsil went down, it seemed to have a cumulative effect on the rest of the team. The blocking wasn't as good. Daniels got hurt. Then McLaurin, and so on. It has been a rough season again in Washington, and the Tunsil injury was an early harbinger of things.

Davante Adams and Puka Nacua, WRs, Rams

Adams suffered a significant hamstring injury in Week 6, and the Rams' timeline has him returning as soon as early December or as late as Week 16. Then Nacua went down on the final offensive snap of Sunday's game, and he's expected miss significant time with a right knee injury and turf toe.

This is disastrous for a Rams team that put itself in a 2-4 hole to start the season and only recently improved to 5-4. How will Matthew Stafford fare for the next month without both? (The Rams also have wideout Jordan Whittington on IR.)

They're currently down to Tutu Atwell, Konata Mumpfield, CJ Daniels and Xavier Smith at wideout. Even with some quality running backs and tight ends on the roster, it might significantly limit what Sean McVay's offense can achieve while battling the 49ers and Seahawks in a stacked NFC West.

Myles Garrett, Edge, Rams 

The Rams also suffered on the defensive side. Garrett played in the season opener, but it was clear something was wrong and he underwent arthroscopic knee surgery and was placed on IR. He missed seven games before being activated, and Garrett's impact was immediately clear in his three-sack game Sunday against Washington.

Getting Garrett back to play alongside Aaron Donald could bear some real fruit, but did the earlier damage from his absence — along with the other injuries the Rams have suffered — hurt the Rams enough to prevent them from making a realistic playoff push?

Garrett was the clear-cut top acquisition of the offseason in a blockbuster trade. There was talk of the Rams going 17-0. All that has faded now, even with Garrett's return. We'll have to see if he and others can carry this wounded team down the stretch, but it's a massive ask.

Brian Burns, Edge, Giants

Burns suffering a season-ending ACL injury was a huge setback for a Giants team that could end up taking the NFC East. In addition, the Giants lost linebacker Tremaine Edmunds (torn chest muscle) to a season-ending injury.

Thankfully for the Giants, Abdul Carter has helped create strong pressure in Burns' absence, and Arvell Reese has emerged as a Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate. But when it comes to the Giants being actual contenders, and not just a team taking advantage of a weaker division, Burns' loss is massive.

We can't discount what the Giants have done in the face of major adversity this season. But it's hard to consider them true threats once the playoffs arrive, and Burns' absence is a big reason why.

Edgerrin Cooper, LB, Packers

There's a little liberty with this selection in that, yes, it was a big individual blow for Cooper (season-ending torn Achilles), but it also was one of several defensive injuries that hampered Green Bay this season. The cumulative effect cannot be ignored.

The Packers were already without Micah Parsons, their most impactful defender, as he rehabbed from last year's ACL tear. And he's only recently returned to practice, nearly 11 months after suffering the injury. Then Cooper went down on Oct. 4, followed by defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, who suffered a torn Achilles the following week. 

Cooper is a young, high-upside defender who was starting to become a force for the Packers. Parsons is still the defensive centerpiece, and his return could have a huge effect on Green Bay, which has played some inspired ball the past month-plus. But not having Cooper could keep a lid on what this defense's potential might be in the long run.