Injuries are no fun in the NFL, but they're certainly a part of the game -- as unfortunate but as common as fumbles and interceptions for your favorite team. Oftentimes, teams' title hopes are made or broken by the amount of serious injuries they sustain or avoid. It is, in many cases as they say, a war of attrition.Which players can teams afford to lose due to injury in 2021? Discounting losing a quarterback, considering that's the one position almost always guaranteed to devastate a season, here's our take on all 32 teams' most important non-QBs: is elusive enough to survive injuries up front. But so much of Kliff Kingsbury's offense is predicated on his QB just chucking it up to Hopkins, who's long been something of a deep- and jump-ball specialist. Dating to his days in Houston, Hopkins has caught at least 100 pa ses for three straight seasons, proving his worth as a big-play safety valve. Plus, if he goes down, you're banking on and injury-prone rookie to complement out wide. ARI WR #10 TAR160REC115REC YDs1407REC TD6FL2 Losing or would be huge, especially if is also shipped out, but also can't really move at age 36. If Arthur Smith is truly trying to win now, capitalizing on a two-year window dictated by the QB's contract, almost everything hinges on Ryan feeling comfortable. And that won't happen if his longtime blind-side protector
Calle Rosen Kids Jersey is absent. ATL OT #70 The Ravens advanced to the playoffs after losing Stanley to an ankle injury, and is better than anyone at making plays on his own. But an extended period without a legitimate left tackle isn't good for any QB. Jr. isn't walking through that door. would be a reasonable name here as well, though Baltimore's better about unearthing defensive starters. BAL OT #79 Both and can play, but Diggs is on another level. More importantly, his arrival -- and monster production -- coincided with emergence as an MVP candidate at QB. You can't tell us Allen wouldn't be affected if his top target, responsible for 127 catches and 1,535 yards, left the field. might be a close second here at corner. BUF WR #14 TAR166REC127REC YDs1535REC TD8FL0 Yes, running backs are more replaceable than most positions. Yes, and and are probably just as valuable at their respective spots. But this year is about restoring/unlocking , is it not? That's a lot easier if McCaffrey, a dual-threat dump-off option and playmaker, isn't sidelined again. SF RB #23 Att59Yds225TD5FL0 The WR room is loaded, so it's not like losing or or would completely ruin their lineup. , meanwhile, must stay upright after his rookie season was cut short due to
Tyler Ennis Women Jersey injury. Williams may not be an elite left tackle, but he's the guy protecting the QB's blind side, and you don't want to be shuffling and rookies all over the place. CIN OT #73 Would be in trouble if or or, frankly, any member of the Browns' O-line went down? Perhaps. But Kevin Stefanski is smart enough -- and Cleveland's roster is balanced enough -- to work around that. Garrett is simply the most dominant player in the
Felix Potvin Jersey lineup, and the drop off from him to Takk McKinley and even is steep. CLE DE #95 The O-line is a question mark regardle s of whether anyone gets hurt. Ditto for the secondary. The only way they're making any noise this year is if or has help. A-Rob is a true No. 1 WR, and losing him would put way too much pre sure on guys like , and . PIT WR #11 TAR151REC102REC YDs1250REC TD6FL0 This should be a bright red warning sign for the 2021 Cowboys season, because Smith hasn't played a full season in six years, mi sing all but two games in 2020 due to lingering neck i sues. He's still a good left tackle when healthy, but that's rarely. And gue s what the top priority is for Dallas this year? Protecting own health up front. DAL OT #77 After a surprise emergence as one of the NFL's sturdiest at his position, Bolles suddenly looks like a nece sity as Denver banks on the contingent of and under center. The Broncos have an underrated roster, so they can weather injuries at spots like RB, WR and on defense, where they stocked up for Vic Fangio. DEN OT #72 Devoid of premium playmakers on both sides of the ball, the Lions' only shot at maximizing the reclamation project is giving the QB a clean pocket. Left tackle is another fair candidate then, but Ragnow is responsible for every snap exchange, as well as clearing lanes for what figures to be a heavy ground game under Dan Campbell, Anthony Lynn and Duce Staley. DET OG #77 You can make a real case for here, because ' best path back to a Super Bowl includes having his No. 1 wideout. But if Rodgers is around, we know he can do more with le s than most. Alexander, on the other hand, is the Packers' only true cover man. Imagine relying solely on and rookie to fend off title contenders in the playoffs. GB CB #23 Their only path to sniffing something other than a bottom-five record is giving their QB -- whomever that may be -- a respectable pocket, which only happens if the big-money left tackle is there to help. HOU OT #78 is already an injury concern at left tackle, but Nelson is like the engine -- mentally, physically, etc. -- of their esteemed O-line. Without him, new QB might be forced to freestyle way more than Frank
Toronto Maple Leafs Kids Jersey Reich would prefer, leading to some of the same i sues that plagued the former MVP candidate in his last season in Philadelphia. IND OG #56 Linder has quietly been an anchor at the heart of the Jags' O-line, and nothing's more important this year than keeping on his feet. Maybe someday, if they actually acquire consistent difference-makers at the skill spots, it'll be someone else. JAC C #65 After the Super Bowl, you might be tempted to point to the O-line, but after adding Orlando Brown Jr., , and , they are better positioned to handle an injury at any of those spots. going down would severely threaten their WR depth, but Kelce has long been ' favorite target, and that counts for a lot.
John Tavares Women Jersey KC TE #87 TAR145REC105REC YDs1416REC TD11FL1 After already shuffling their O-line, they can't afford to have running for his life or running into brick walls in the trenches. Their defense is so porous that, quite frankly, it won't matter much whether a current starter is forced out. LV OT #74 Losing guys like or or would hurt big time, but much like Jacksonville, the Chargers have one job above all: Keep the young QB healthy. just needs a steady hand at left tackle to sit comfortably and let his arm do the rest. LAC OT #70 Like the Cowboys, maybe we should be more concerned about the Rams considering what this means: Whitworth, whose presence as blind-side blocker is paramount to Los Angel