Top Five Career-Ending Injuries in Football

The NFL, NCAA and various high school football associations are constantly making efforts to make the game safer for all of its players. But the inescapable fact is that football is a violent game. Unless significant changes to the game are made, it is always going to involve hard-hitting contact that could very well result in serious injuries.

The changes in the game and advances in sports medicine over the years have helped players extend their careers and avoid the same severity and frequency of some injuries. But still, every year there’s a handful of players who have their careers ended prematurely due to injury.

Here are a few of the most common career ending injuries in football:

• Concussions: When we’re talking about major football injuries in today’s world, it’s hard not to first talk about concussions. We’ve learned a lot about the human brain and traumatic brain injuries over the last 10 to 15 years, and understand better than ever how repeated blows to the head can cause long-term damage and CTE. Today, the NFL is extremely careful (at least in comparison to previous years) with how it handles players with concussions, forcing them to go through a concussion protocol before team doctors can clear them to play again. Several players have called it quits at a young age in recent years due to repeated concussions, including former 49ers linebacker Chris Borland and former Colts wide receiver Austin Collie.
• Neck injuries: Neck injuries are difficult to prevent, as they are often a result of awkward falls or hits. The way a player leans into a tackle can be a factor, but many neck injuries are simply a result of bad luck. In recent years, Packers safety Nick Collins and offensive lineman Eric Wood of the Buffalo Bills have seen their careers end prematurely due to neck injuries.
• Back injuries: Back injuries have long been the bane of professional football players. Former Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo called it quits after lingering problems with his back, and now is in the booth for CBS. Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier suffered a horrific back injury and is still working on being able to walk without assistance again. Spinal injuries can result in paralysis in severe circumstances.
• Knee injuries: Fortunately in today’s NFL, knee surgery in Las Vegas, NV does not have to be a career-ending proposition. Even just 20 years ago, major knee surgery was a career-killer. Now, players can rebound even the next season and perform at a high level. Still, repeated knee injuries can shorten the career of any player, and every year we see numerous ligament tears.
• Muscle tears: Certain muscle tears can be very difficult to recover from, especially if the player is already farther along in their career. In recent years, players have called it quits due to torn biceps or quadriceps on several occasions.

For more information about the most common career-ending injuries and knee surgery in Las Vegas, NV, contact the office of Bernard Ong, M.D. today.

Categorized in: Knee Surgery

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