Through three games, more NFL players are getting injured at a higher rate than last season. Missed games by starters have increased by 8.9 percent, according to ESPN's John Clayton. Starters have missed 196 games so far this season compared to 180 in 2013.
The Pittsburgh Steelers recently brought back retired linebacker James Harrison after key injuries depleted the depth of their linebacker corps. The San Diego Charges have lost running backs Ryan Maatthews and Danny Woodhead for varying lengths of time. DeAngelo Hall of the Washington Redskins will miss the rest of the season with a torn Achilles. This comes after Robert Griffin III's dislocated ankle, which will sideline him for at least eight weeks. The Kansas City Chiefs have already placed four starters on the injured list and are on pace to far exceed the number of missed starts accumulated in 2012 (56) and 2011 (54). Nearly every roster has dealt with injuries to key contributors through the first three weeks of the season.
There were over 1,600 missed starts due to injury last season. While teams are being more cautious with concussions and allowing players greater rest to heal from nagging injuries, the numbers argue that health is still a major concern for NFL players.
Clayton notes that 17 players have already received the short-term reserve option, which allows their teams to designate one injured player as eligible to return after eight games.
"A missed start is a missed start, regardless of whether teams are more cautious" Clayton wrote. "And often the drop-off from starters to backups can be dramatic... Injuries are coming in at a fast pace again this year."
