Early Season Injuries to Familiar Faces

By Bob

There truly is nothing worse in sports then when a player gets injured so early on in the season. After fans and teams build up hype about how it will be a players breakout year or how they were the steal of the off-season, they end up coming out hot out of the gates and end up out for the year with an injury nobody wishes on their worst enemy, let alone their favorite team. Thus far this season, there has been more injuries then any common football fan would like to see. I am not saying this is not expected; besides for hockey, football is hands down the most physical sport in the states. It is a little peculiar that the names going down so far are former pro bowlers who still have lots of years left in their tank. Whether they are out for only a few weeks, or the entire year it still impacts how a team will perform when a difference maker is missing a game.

Just yesterday, three great players in San Diego's Danny Woodhead, Denver's Demarcus Ware and Minnesota's Adrian Peterson each left their game not even knowing when they would be able to play football again. The most known of the bunch, Peterson, probably has the best case scenario. He tore his meniscus but the severity of the injury is not as bad as first expected, which means he Coach Mike Zimmer will only have to keep him out a couple of weeks. After the way Sam Bradford and the defense showed up last night, I would not be too nervous as a Vikings fan. Ware fractured his forearm during the second half of yesterdays thrashing of the Colts. The veteran linebacker is in need of surgery to mend his arm, but he should be able to head back to the field around week four or five.

Last, we have a less known player who has stepped up his game the past couple of seasons. Ever since joining the Chargers a few years back, Danny Woodhead has been a go-to receiving back who has filled the void of the legend LT left in San Diego. Although yesterday, Woodhead got one of the worst injuries possible and tore his ACL. Whenever i hear a player has gotten this injury, I automatically cringe because it always looks so painful. I also feel bad because Woodhead has made such strides as a player within recent years, and this is going to be so difficult to come back from. At least for the Chargers sake, they have a potential franchise running back in Melvin Gordon, the only question is his catching ability out of the back field. Hearing that all of these well known players got injuries as well as others who I did not mention (sorry RGIII but just retire) makes it a tough day as a football fan. You hate to see it, but it just comes with the sport and there is no changing that. I wish all these guys a speedy recovery, hopefully their teams can make due without their presence on the field.