As anyone can understand after watching a single game of football, it is a very physically demanding and rough sport. Players frequently injure each other, either on accident or on purpose. This leads football players to have short careers due to their injuries.
However, some players are more prone to being injured than others. These players are usually the bane of NFL betting odds as they play incredibly well when they are not injured but you don’t know if they are going to be placed on Injured Reserve.
In this article, we’ve named some of the most injury-prone players in NFL history.
Adrian Peterson
Peterson is considered one of the greatest running backs of all time. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in 2007 and played for them until 2016 when he became a free agent.
He is considered one of the greatest due to his violent running style and his desire to get an extra yard no matter the cost. This play style is also what made him so injury prone.
Even before his draft, the number of injuries he sustained in college was brought up as a concern. Despite these concerns, Peterson managed to break the NFL record for most rushing yards in a game with 296 which he did so as a rookie.
So far in his career, Peterson has been honored to Pro Bowl 7 times and won the NFL Most Valuable Player in 2012.
Ben Roethlisberger
Roethlisberger was a quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers from his draft in 2004 to his retirement in 2021.
He won 2 Super Bowls, becoming the youngest quarterback in NFL history to win one. He was also named Pro Bowler 6 times.
Despite these accomplishments, Roethlisberger is almost guaranteed to miss a game every season. In fact, he completely missed the 2019 season as he was put on the Injured Reserve team.
What sets Roethlisberger apart is that despite his injuries, he plays through most of them and only misses a game for serious injuries.
Bob Sanders
Sanders was a safety that played for the Indianapolis Colts between 2004 and 2010 and then the San Diego Chargers in 2011.
As a player, Sanders is a fantastic safety known for his hard hits and tackles. Unfortunately, these hard hits have caused him to miss an impressive 60% of all his games.
Sanders never played a full season, and his single season with the Chargers was his 4th season in a row that he was put on Injured Reserve.
Despite his limited number of games, Sanders won 1 Super Bowl and was named Pro Bowler twice.
Darren McFadden
McFadden was a running back for the Oakland Raiders from 2008 to 2014 and then the Dallas Cowboys from 2015 until his retirement in 2017 which he did so halfway through a season.
Across his 9 total seasons, McFadden only played 2 of them fully, in 2014 and 2015.
He had a decorated college career which led him to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2019. This impressive early career led many to believe that McFadden would become one of the best running backs in the NFL, but ultimately he was hindered by his multiple injuries.
Michael Vick
Vick was a quarterback known for his reckless style of play. He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in 2001, then in 2009, he moved to the Philadelphia Eagles. His final 2 seasons in 2014 and 2015 were played with the New York Jets and the Pittsburgh Steelers respectively.
Across his career, he was honored with 4 Pro Bowls and is the NFL leader in quarterback rushing yards with 6,109.
As well as missing games due to injuries, Vick also missed the 2007 and 2008 seasons as he was in prison and suspended for dog fighting.
Reggie Bush
Bush was a running back for the New Orleans Saints between 2006 and 2010, the Miami Dolphins from 2011 to 2012, and the Detroit Lions from 2013 to 2014.
He is considered one of the greatest college football players of all time winning many awards and titles such as winning the AP National Championship twice and being named AP College Football Player of the Year in 2005.
Most of his injuries come from the fact that he is an incredibly dynamic player. He only played 1 season in full and that was his rookie season in 2006. He also ended up winning 1 Super Bowl in his career.
Troy Polamalu
Polamalu is considered one of the greatest safeties and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020. He played his whole career with the Pittsburgh Steelers from 2003-2014.
Throughout his career, he ended up winning 2 Super Bowls and was named Pro Bowler 8 times which is impressive seeing as how he missed a fifth of all his games since 2006 due to injuries.
Final Thoughts
These players are fantastic when they are healthy, but unfortunately in the world of football, it is hit or be hit. And these players drew the short straw.