Every NFL season comes with a slew of unfortunate injuries, rendering the sport a war of attrition. Certain teams, meanwhile, have been more affected by medical issues than others to start the 2024 campaign. Most times, the effect is negative, requiring teams to rely on emergency help. Other times, however, one player's absence can mean another player's positive emergence. Roughly a quarter of the way through the regular-season schedule, here are 10 of the most impactful injuries to occur so far:
10. Steelers QB Russell Wilson
Injury: Calf | Games missed: 4 | Potential return: Week 5
Tabbed the favorite to open the season as Pittsburgh's quarterback, Wilson has yet to take a single snap due to a calf injury suffered in training camp and aggravated in the preseason. As a result, ex-Chicago Bears prospect Justin Fields has all but secured QB1 duties, completing a career-high 70.6% of his throws in a 3-1 start.
9. Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco
Injury: Fractured fibula | Games missed: 2 | Potential return: Week 9
The tough-running Pacheco was expected to need six to eight weeks of rehab following his move to injured reserve after Week 2. With fellow back Clyde Edwards-Helaire only now eligible to return, the Chiefs have pivoted to a makeshift rotation of old friend Kareem Hunt, veteran pickup Samaje Perine and rookie Carson Steele.
8. 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey
Injury: Achilles tendinitis | Games missed: 4 | Potential return: Week 10
Rewarded with a new contract this offseason, McCaffrey has yet to make his 2024 debut, leaving third-year reserve Jordan Mason to shoulder a full workload as Kyle Shanahan's ball carrier. Mason has been excellent on the ground in replacement, but McCaffrey's absence as a pass catcher may have contributed to a two-game slide.
7. Packers QB Jordan Love
Injury: MCL sprain | Games missed: 2 | Returned: Week 4
Technically, Green Bay has gone 2-0 without Love and 0-2 with him this year. Coach Matt LaFleur perfectly tailored the offense to mobile backup Malik Willis during the starter's absence. But Love's arm is MVP-caliber, as evidenced late in Week 4, and his easing back into the lineup could still affect the NFC North race.
6. Rams WR Cooper Kupp
Injury: Ankle | Games missed: 2 | Potential return: Week 7
Limited to 12 games in 2023 and nine games the year prior, Kupp reignited his chemistry with Matthew Stafford to start the season, only to go down once more. His loss last year was partially offset by the rookie stardom of Puka Nacua, but now things are murky for Stafford, Sean McVay and Co. once again, with Nacua also banged up.
5. Rams WR Puka Nacua
Injury: PCL sprain | Games missed: 3 | Potential return: Week 8
As noted above, Nacua was Mr. Reliable for Los Angeles in 2023, seamlessly stepping in for Kupp as Stafford's go-to chain-mover. A knee injury bothered him this summer, however, and then sent him to injured reserve early this fall. Sidelined indefinitely, he's since been replaced by deeper reserves like Tutu Atwell.
4. Chiefs WR Rashee Rice
Injury: ACL tear | Games missed: TBD | Potential return: 2025
Rice just went down on Sunday, falling victim to an incidental hit from his own quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, but he's likely to be out for the rest of the year. With Marquise Brown also sidelined indefinitely, that means the Chiefs will be dependent on rookie Xavier Worthy and journeyman JuJu Smith-Schuster at wide receiver.
3. Browns OT Jedrick Wills
Injury: Knee | Games missed: 3 | Potential return: Week 5
You could just as easily swap Wills out for right tackle Jack Conklin, or Pro Bowl guard Wyatt Teller, or any number of key Browns veterans nursing bumps and bruises. The fact is, Kevin Stefanski's offense is as battered as they come, leaving already-embattled quarterback Deshaun Watson to flail around in the pocket.
2. Eagles WR A.J. Brown
Injury: Hamstring | Games missed: 3 | Potential return: Week 6
Never has Brown's value been clearer to Philadelphia than during his three-game absence, in which the Eagles barely posted a 1-2 mark with more volatile offense. Fellow wideout DeVonta Smith was also sidelined in Week 4, leaving a turnover-prone Jalen Hurts to lean almost exclusively on Saquon Barkley and Dallas Goedert.
1. Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa
Injury: Concussion | Games missed: 2 | Potential return: Week 8
Miami's 2022 season was all but derailed when Tagovailoa suffered multiple head injuries, and history appears to be repeating itself. Other injuries have also played a part (see: Terron Armstead, Odell Beckham Jr., Bradley Chubb, etc.), but with Tagovailoa out indefinitely, Mike McDaniel has been forced to emergency options like Skylar Thompson and the newly signed Tyler Huntley. Even if Tagovailoa somehow returns in 2024, plenty of people will be concerned for his well-being in an explosive but consistently fragile supporting cast.
