Injuries can have a huge impact on a team, especially now when rosters are so carefully chosen and cultivated, with each player having a very specific role in an overall strategy. A few key players have suffered injuries this season, and the teams are already showing the effects of this fact.
Crypto gambling sites, such as the one written about on Cryptomaniaks, have also adapted their odds and predictions based on the public reports on injuries, but also based on the rumors and chatter about them.
Deshaun Watson (Cleveland Browns)
Watson has undergone two Achilles tendon surgeries after his injury during the game against the Cincinnati Bengals in October 2024. The medical team has already stated that there won’t be any games for Watson throughout 2025.
Watson joined the Browns in 2022, on a five-year contract worth $230 million. He played in 19 of 51 regular-season games. The Browns have struggled when Watson was on the team, with a 1-6 record. The injury has added further problems to the team, and they’ve already restricted the contract to take into account the gap year.
Dak Prescott (Dallas Cowboys)
Prescott has sustained quite a few injuries in the past five years, and when combined, these have taken a toll on his health. The last one was in week nine of the 2024 season, and he wasn’t cleared for contact ever since.
The team had improved their offensive lineup before this injury by adding a wide receiver, George Pickens, to pair with Pro Bowler CeeDee Lamb. The Cowboys are also going through a broader change in improving team culture and competitiveness under a new coach, Brian Schottenheimer. Prescott will continue with his rehab and hopefully be back on the field later in the season.
Christian McCaffrey (San Francisco 49ers)
McCaffrey was seriously injured and had to sit out most of the 2024 season. At the beginning of the year, he injured his Achilles tendon, and after just four weeks back, he also suffered an injury to his right knee. This one took him out for the season, and the 49ers have stated that they plan to ease him into the 2025 season slowly.
The team is also considering adding depth to the running back position. The head coach, Kyle Shanahan, has said that this plan was the major focus of the 2025 draft for the 49ers. Isaac Guerendo also played an important role in lightening the load for McCaffrey.
The draft is often used as an opportunity to reshape the team and to choose a roster based on the new strategy. The 2025 draft was widely discussed in the media as a draft that would introduce new stars and showcase the change in an overall approach to offense in the league.
Josh Simmons (Kansas City Chiefs)
Josh Simmons was a first-round pick in the 2025 draft, and he’s meant to be a pivotal figure in improving the offensive line. In October 2024, Simmons was hurt in a game against Oregon. The knee injury sidelined him for the rest of the season. Simmons has since practiced in the rookie minicamp drills and seems to be making a full recovery.
Head coach Andy Reid has indicated that Simmons will soon get back to the regular roster as the left tackle. It’s the position that the team needs to fill most of all, and that was the initial plan for this year’s draft.
Micah Parsons (Dallas Cowboys)
Micah Parsons, the Dallas Cowboys’ star edge rusher, became a part of the team after this year’s draft, while the Cowboys are in turmoil. Parsons concluded the previous season with a wrist injury, but it seems he’s on the path to full recovery.
Parsons is currently under the fifth-year option for a rookie contract worth over $24 million per year. He’s also predicting at least 12 wins in 2025, after the team finished with a 7-10 record in 2025.
Tank Dell (WR, Houston Texans)
Tank Dell, a wide receiver for the Houston Texans, is facing another challenging recovery process after his injury in December 2024. Knee injuries are often difficult to heal, and Dell has hurt his knee during a game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Dell’s absence has affected the team’s receiving corps, especially since they’ve also lost Stefon Diggs. This also isn’t the first time Dell’s career has been derailed by injury – he spent most of 2023 recovering from one as well.
Nakobe Dean (LB, Philadelphia Eagles)
Nakobe Dean, the Philadelphia Eagles’ promising linebacker, has injured his knee during the playoffs, and he will face a rather long recovery period. The injury requires surgery, and at this point, we don’t yet know how long he will be sidelined. Other players with similar injuries, such as Drake Jackson and Caden Sterns, had long recoveries that were extended several times.
The Eagles have already said they would adjust the roster to face the new reality. Oren Burks stepped up to take Dean’s place, and the team signed Nicholas Morrow to bolster the linebacker position.
Injuries have affected a few players this season, and some are carrying injuries from the previous season. It will have an impact on both their careers and the teams.
