Discover the worst football injuries in NFL history and live unforgettable football moments with Fubo.
Football, and the NFL specifically, has always been a violent sport. How could it not be? With freakish athletes weighing anywhere north of 240 pounds running at each other at massive rates of speed, even with the NFL placing rules to slow down the rate of players getting hurt, brutal injuries can still take place. And that’s what we’re here to discuss today, as we look back at the 10 worst football injuries in NFL history. Warning: Some of the video footage is difficult to watch, so if you’re squeamish, it might be best to not look at the video evidence.
STREAM THE NFL LIVE ALL SEASON LONG: Start your free trial with Fubo today!
10 worst injuries in NFL history
Alex Smith (2018)
During Week 11 of the 2018 NFL season, veteran quarterback Alex Smith, then with the Washington Commanders, suffered a horrific leg injury, breaking his leg in the third quarter of a 23-21 to the Houston Texans on a sack by Texan defenders Kareem Jackson and JJ Watt.
Smith would miss the rest of the 2018 season, as well as the entire 2019 campaign, before admirably returning for 11 games with Washington in 2020 prior to retiring.
Joe Theismann (1985)
Another former Washington quarterback, Joe Theismann, wouldn’t be as blessed as Smith, as his horrific broken leg injury, suffered on Monday Night Football in Week 11 of the 1985 season, actually ended his career.
Theismann’s injury came on the same date as Smith’s, just 33 years apart, with both taking place on November 18 – a bit of a creepy coincidence intertwining these two Washington signal-callers. Particularly brutal about Theismann’sinjury was the fact it came just two seasons after his MVP campaign of 1983, ending his career when he had just been playing at such a high level one season earlier.
Bo Jackson (1991)
One of the greatest athletes in not just NFL history but in the history of American sports, Bo Jackson was a Pro Bowl running back in the NFL and an MLB All-Star, playing both sports at the highest level. That is, until 1991, when Jackson, playing for the Los Angeles Raiders in the divisional round of the playoffs, suffered a hip injury that would end his career.
Jackson claims to have popped his hip back into place and though doctors never verified that, they did uncover a fracture to one of his hip bones and a plethora of other issues that ended both Jackson’s football and baseball careers – a true shame considering it feels like we never got to see the best the Auburn legend had to offer.
Ryan Shazier (2017)
Younger football fans will remember this one, as the Pittsburgh Steelers were one of the best teams in the NFL at the time, with one of the stingiest defenses in the league, in part led by two-time Pro Bowl linebacker Ryan Shazier. Shazier got injured in Week 13 of the 2017 season, on Monday Night Football in a game against the division-rival Cincinnati Bengals, suffering a spinal injury after a head-on tackle in the first quarter, one that left him unable to move his legs.
Thankfully, although the injury ended Shazier’s playing career, he did regain the use of his legs. The former Ohio State Buckeye would retire on September 9, 2020.
Rashad Johnson (2013)
One of the most costly injuries on this list, though not in terms of missed playing time, Arizona Cardinals safety Rashad Johnson – in Week 3 of the 2013 NFL season – lost his left middle fingertip after securing a tackle on a punt return. In case you were wondering how tough NFL players are, Johnson finished the game.
Oh, and just five weeks later in a Week 8 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons, Johnson picked off Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan… twice. That matchup would go 27-13 in Arizona’s favor.
STREAM THE NFL LIVE ALL SEASON LONG: Start your free trial with Fubo today!
Eric Wood (2009)
Offensive lineman Eric Wood was drafted by the Buffalo Bills with the 28th pick of the 2009 NFL Draft and arrived in upstate New York with a lot of expectations, counted on being the team’s starting right guard right away as a rookie. Wood did just that, starting in 10 games as a first-year player for Buffalo before the unfortunate happened.
In Week 11 of the 2009 season, Wood fractured both his fibula and tibia when Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tackle Montavious Stanley rolled up on his leg on a routine play, in what was one of the most gruesome leg injuries ever seen in the NFL. Wood would miss the rest of that season but did return at a high level, playing in 14 games the following campaign and starting in 120 games total for his career, all with Buffalo, making him a team legend for his nine seasons there.
NaVorro Bowman (2013)
Back in 2013, the San Francisco 49ers were one of the best teams in the league, led by an elite defense that would punish opponents on a weekly basis. One of the most important members of that defense was linebacker NaVorro Bowman, a highly instinctual and athletic linebacker who became a star in the NFL after a standout career at Penn State.
That 49ers defense was so good, in fact, that it helped guide the team all the way to NFL Championship Game that year, which is when Bowman suffered a scary knee injury that resulted in him tearing both the ACL and MCL in his left knee. The injury occurred in the fourth quarter of the game, one in which San Francisco fell 23-17 to the Seattle Seahawks. Bowman would miss the entire 2014 season rehabbing the injury but returned in 2015 at a high level, earning 1st Team All-Pro honors for his 2015 contributions.
Bowman would play just 19 games over two more seasons after that, however, before his career ended. He was recently one of the 129 nominees for the 2023 Hall of Fame class in Canton.
Darryl Stingley (1978)
In one of the most tragic stories on this list, New England Patriots wide receiver Darryl Stingley suffered a spinal cord injury (breaking his fourth and fifth cervical vertebrae) after a hit by Raiders defensive back Jack Tatum.
To make matters worse, the hit didn’t even happen in a game that counted. It took place during a preseason matchup ahead of the 1978 season. Stingley was set to sign a contract that would have made him one of the highest-paid receivers in the league that year, but the injury happened before he could sign it. Stingley would spend the rest of his life as a quadriplegic before passing away in 2007 at age 55.
Leon Washington (2009)
Former New York Jets running back Leon Washington was a fan favorite in his prime, with long speed for days and quickness that made it difficult for opponents to get their hands on them. By Week 7 of the 2009 season, Washington was already a one-time Pro Bowler and one of the most electrifying kick returners in football.
It was then that Washington suffered his gruesome leg injury, a compound fracture to his fibula that cost him the remainder of his 2009 campaign during a 38-0 win over Oakland. Washington would return and play another five seasons before his career ended after the 2014 season.
Ronnie Lott (1985)
Legendary safety Ronnie Lott was one of the toughest players in NFL history, suiting up in an era known for huge hits that required a lot of tenacity out of its players, particularly from defensive backs.
Lott, an eventual eight-time 1st Team All-Pro and four-time Super Bowl champion as a member of the 49ers, was in the midst of his heyday in San Francisco when, in Week 16 of the 1985 season, Lott shattered his pinkie finger trying to tackle Dallas Cowboys running back Timmy Newsome in the team’s regular-season finale. Rather than miss the playoffs, as legend has it, Lott played through the injury and had the finger instead amputated after the Niners were eliminated by the New York Giants in the NFL wild-card round that year.
Football players: far tougher than the average human.
Don’t Miss Any NFL Historical Moment with Fubo
For fanatics of the NFL, you know that any given week you are bound to witness NFL history take place. Sometimes it’s the legendary kind, like the Miracle in Miami – the Miami Dolphins’ lateral-driven last-second victory over the Patriots back in the 2018 season – and other times it’s downright hilarious, like the Kansas City Chiefs ring-and-the-rosy touchdown play vs. the Raiders just last season.
With Fubo, you can catch all of the action in the upcoming 2023 NFL season. Fubo carries all of the channels you need to catch the vast majority of the NFL action you want; CBS, FOX, ABC, NBC, ESPN, NFL Network and NFL RedZone all reside on the streaming platform. Fubo also even featured FanView, which lets you in on more of the action by showing you the latest scores and stats right in your Fubo app.
For just $70 per month on the Pro plan, Fubo allows you to catch as much of the NFL as your heart desires this upcoming season. And for just $11 more, you can also get the all-important NFL RedZone package through Fubo’s Sports Plus offer.
If you’re still not sold, you can even wait until Week 1 of the NFL season and use our free trial for the opening weekend of action to see what you’d be getting for the rest of the campaign with Fubo.
STREAM THE NFL LIVE ALL SEASON LONG: Start your free trial with Fubo today!
Regional restrictions may apply.
