5 NFL players who suffered a career-ending injury during a game
The NFL is a league that has made a tremendous amount of money from the physicality of the game. Hard hits and tough players are synonymous with the sport and an essential part of its success. Labelling the game as a contact sport doesn't do it justice, it is very much a collison sport.
Due to the speed and physical impact of the game, players in the NFL are acutely aware that their next play may be their last. Injuries are a part of the game and can frustrate players, coaches, owners and fans, but the physical toll of football can have life-altering consequences for many.
Here are 5 NFL players who suffered a career-ending injury during a game.
Steve Young: San Francisco 49ers, 1999
Former quarterback Steve Young was ahead of his time in the NFL. He could essentially do it all, pass and run with the best of them. He was the predessessor for many of the dual threat quarterbacks that dominate the NFL today. However, the Hall of Famer's career did not end the way he wanted it to. Due to his ability to run, he was consistently being hit in the head, as helmet to helmet hits were commonplace in the 1990's. During a week 3 game against the Arizona Cardinals, Young was sacked by cornerback Aneas Williams in a frightening helmet-to-helmet tackle that gave Young his seventh known concussion and retired him from the NFL.
The Top 10 BEST seasons ever by a QB:
1. Dan Marino | 1984
2. Peyton Manning | 2013
3. Tom Brady | 2007
4. Kurt Warner | 1999
5. Joe Montana | 1989
6. Steve Young | 1994
7. Brett Favre | 1996
8. Patrick Mahomes | 2018
9. Lamar Jackson | 2019
10. Aaron Rodgers | 2020
Thoughts? https://t.co/1RMVCWsqjk
Kevin Everett: Buffalo Bills, 2007
One of the defining plays that made the NFL reconsider how it approached special teams plays happened in week 1 of the 2007 season. Former Buffalo Bill Kevin Everett suffered a fracture and discolation of his spine while trying to bring down Broncos return man Domenik Hixon. Everett was not able to move anything besides his eyelids while he lay on the field, but thankfully he was was able to walk by December of the same year.
Johnny Knox: Chicago Bears, 2011
We will never truly know what Johnny Knox's career could have looked like as he was just coming into his own with the Chicago Bears. As a receiver and return man, Knox was used to making contact with defenders, but his career-ending injury happened on a random special teams play. Knox collided head one with Seattle Seahawks special teamer Anthony Hargrove, leading to emergency surgery to repair his spine. Knox would be able to walk again, but his football career was cut short.
Joe Theismann: Washington Redskins, 1985
It was one of the most gruesome injuries in sports history. Joe Theismann was a standout quarterback for the Washington (then) Redskins. With the entire NFL watching Monday Night Football, Theismann's career would suddenly come to an end. In a failed flea flicker, Theismann was sacked by legendary New York Giants pass rusher Lawrence Taylor - essentially bulldozing his knee into the quarterback's leg, breaking his tibia and fibia, and ending his career.
Most career passing yards in #Commanders franchise history
Joe Theismann - 25,206
Sonny Jurgensen - 22,585
Sammy Baugh - 21,886
Kirk Cousins - 16,206
Mark Rypien - 15,928
Bo Jackson: Los Angeles Raiders, 1991
One of the most dynamic athletes in sports history, Bo Jackson was a two-sport athlete, playing football for the Los Angeles Raiders and baseball for the Kansas City Royals. Jackson's NFL career would come to an end against the Cincinnati Bengals when he was tackled on what looked like a routine play. However, Jackson would discolate his hip during play and later find out he had fractured his hip bone and the tissue on the bone was dying due to a lack of blood supply.