WRITTEN BY: Joe Laurich, Staff Writer
Injuries are often just part of the game when it comes to football, but the rash of injuries that happened during the early window of NFL games on Sunday were worse than usual.
Numerous star players, including Saquon Barkley, Jimmy Garoppolo and Nick Bosa went down with injuries that will sideline them for multiple weeks, even up to the rest of the season. Bosa and Barkley are both feared to have suffered a torn ACL, while Garoppolo suffered a high-ankle sprain that will likely sideline him for four to six weeks.
The San Francisco 49ers were hit particularly hard, losing Bosa, Garoppolo, defensive lineman Solomon Thoma, and running back Raheem Mostert to injury. While the Niners still got the win over the Jets, losing Bosa for the season and Garoppolo for the next few weeks will significantly hamper them going forward as they look to repeat as NFC Champions.
49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said that the turf at Metlife Stadium in New York was a concern for players going into the game, as they felt it was extra sticky.
Barkley’s injury impacts not only the Giants, who will be without the electrifying young running back for the rest of the season, but also fantasy football enthusiasts. Barkley was considered one of the top two players in fantasy this year, along with Carolina running back Christian McCaffery, who also left their loss to Tampa Bay with an ankle injury.
Another notable injury suffered on Sunday was Denver Broncos’ quarterback Drew Lock, who went down with a shoulder injury after being sacked. Lock didn’t return to the game, and given the injury was to his throwing shoulder, it wouldn’t be surprising if he missed time in the next few weeks.
Without a preseason and shortened training camp, it was expected there would be an uptick of injuries in early season games. Still, losing this many key players may have lasting impacts on the remainder of the season.
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