Bloody Sunday: NFL Stars Across the League Go Down with Injuries in Week Two

Dolphins+cornerback+Byron+Jones+was+one+of+many+NFL+stars+to+go+down+with+an+injury+this+past+Sunday.+

Jack Meyer

Dolphins cornerback Byron Jones was one of many NFL stars to go down with an injury this past Sunday.

Michael Angee, Design Editor

In the National Football League, no player seemed safe this past week, as a handful of notable players were injured during the second week of the NFL season. 

Kicking off the injuries, defensive lineman for the San Francisco 49ers Solomon Thomas and Nick Bosa were taken off the field Sunday in fear of ACL injuries. Bosa, diving for a tackle in the first quarter of the 49ers vs. Jets game, was caught in a pile and quickly carted off into the locker room for further examination. Both Thomas and Bosa were picked in the top three of their respective draft classes, while Bosa was named to the Pro Bowl his rookie year. The 49ers believe both will be done for the season, but the team’s MRI truck broke down en route, so the official status of Bosa and Thomas remains in limbo. 

The 49ers seemingly had the worst luck on Sunday, as Jimmy Garappolo, their starting quarterback, was left limping after an awkward tackle. Garoppolo returned to the field later in the game, but had to exit  again later in the game, and is expected to be out for multiple weeks. Prior to kickoff, multiple 49ers, including Richard Sherman (calf), George Kittle (knee) and Dee Ford (neck) were sidelined as well. 

To make matters worse for the league, Giants running back Saquon Barkley was handed the ball in the beginning of the second quarter of the Giants-Bears match up and landed badly on his right knee; he was carried off the field. The Giants announced the following day that Barkley tore his ACL, which effectively ends his season. The young star was not the only Giant to leave the game due to injury, as wide receiver Sterling Shepard was ruled out of the game due to a toe injury per ESPN.

The Broncos’ starting quarterback, Drew Lock, suffered a shoulder injury in the match up against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Broncos fear that this sprained AC joint could result in Lock missing two to six weeks of play. Lock was slated by many as a candidate to have a breakout season, but this injury may temporarily put it on hold. The Broncos also lost wide receiver Courtland Sutton for the season to a torn ACL; Sutton and Lock have frequently been cited as one of the league’s most promising offensive duos. 

The Indianapolis Colts were affected by the bad luck of the league and lost both starting wide receiver Paris Campbell and safety Malik Hooker during their game against the Minnesota Vikings. Hooker was carted off the field on a now-confirmed Achilles injury and is expected not to return for the rest of the season. On the other end of the ball in the Colts-Vikings matchup, four-time Pro Bowler Anthony Barr suffered a shoulder injury in the second quarter and was sidelined for the rest of the game; it has now been confirmed he will miss the season with a torn pectoral muscle. 

In hometown team news, Miami Dolphins cornerback and defensive leader Byron Jones was ruled out of the week two matchup against the Buffalo Bills due to a groin injury, and may be out for their Thursday night game against the Jacksonville Jaguars

The Dallas Cowboys made the headline comeback of the week as they won after being down 20 to zero in the first quarter. After a horrendous first quarter where the team lost three fumbles, Dak Prescott came off the field after he took a hit to the head, and it looked like three starting quarterbacks may have suffered injuries in the same week. However Prescott later returned the game and became the first player in NFL history to throw 400 passing yards and score three rushing touchdowns in the same game en route to a 40-39 victory. 

Offensive superstars around the league were not immune to this historic day for injuries, as Davante Adams (hamstring) and Christian McCaffrey (ankle) suffered late game injuries. McCaffery, who nearly took home Offensive Player of the Year last season, is expected to be out for multiple weeks, while Adams’ status is currently unclear. 

Although injury posed the largest threat to many of these players, the personal lives of players such as James White also served as a reason for missing week two. Both White’s mother and father were involved in a serious car accident. White’s father did not survive the crash and his mother is in critical condition. Tyrone White, White’s father, a Miami-Dade Police Department Chief, was killed in an off-duty car. White’s mother was also in the car and was transported to the hospital immediately. 

As this past Sunday was filled with injuries across the league, many have looked for a cause as to why so many players went down. Some have reasoned that players were not able to take part in organized team activities and did not play in any preseason games. Whatever the reason was, fans and players alike hope that next week does not fill up the injury report the same way this week did.