Relentlessly providing content for the football-following world during the sport’s quietest stretch last year, Aiyuk scored his 49ers extension late in the summer. The hold-in period affected him, as a slow start commenced. Aiyuk did not have a chance to heat up, suffering an ACL tear during a Chiefs matchup Deebo Samuel also missed due to an illness. Aiyuk went down in October but is viewed as unlikely to start the 2025 season on time. The 49ers are aiming for an early-season return. With Samuel out of the picture and Ricky Pearsall inexperienced, they will need it. 

Barnes’ injury landed the first punch in what became a prime Manny Pacquiao-like fusillade of blows to the Lions defense. A starting linebacker in a contract year, Barnes sustained MCL and PCL damage in Week 3. This shut him down, with the likes of Aidan Hutchinson, Alim McNeill, Alex Anzalone, Carlton Davis and John Cominsky joined the brigade of Detroit defenders lost in the injury avalanche. A 13-game starter in 2023, Barnes still showed the Lions enough before the injury. He earned a three-year, $24 million deal that came with $16M guaranteed. Barnes’ return will be a bonus for a regrouping Super Bowl contender. 

Ejiro Evero‘s run of rides on the coaching carousel despite being a defensive coordinator on bad team stopped this year, as the Panthers crashed into last place defensively in 2024. Carolina’s minimal effort to replace Brian Burns indeed failed, and Jaycee Horn’s second-team All-Pro season did not move the needle for the unit. The group saw its front-seven centerpiece, however, go down in Week 1. Brown suffered a meniscus tear plays into his fifth season. The Panthers are aiming for the recently extended defensive tackle to return by Week 1 of the 2025 season.

The Dolphins deployed Phillips and Chubb together for around a year, following their blockbuster trade for the latter in November 2022, but injuries have reshaped the team’s edge rusher plan. Phillips returned from a Black Friday 2023 Achilles tear by Week 1 last season but suffered an ACL tear in Week 4. Chubb did not return from his ACL tear, sustained in Week 17 of the ’23 season, last year and is at a career crossroads. Twice suffering ACL tears in the pros, Chubb took a pay cut this offseason. Phillips is now in a contract year. Miami still needs this duo, Chop Robinson’s arrival notwithstanding, to reemerge. 

The Steelers lost three starting O-linemen to season-ending injuries. While the two others (Nate Herbig, Troy Fautanu) were not certain to be full-season first-stringers, Daniels was. The veteran guard had not missed a game since signing with the Steelers in 2022, but he sustained an Achilles tear in Week 4 to mar a contract year. Pittsburgh had already made it clear before the injury no re-signing would commence, but Daniels was off to a strong start. The setback affected his market, which ended with a three-year, $24 million Dolphins deal. Only $7.3M came guaranteed, giving the seven-year starter much to prove in Miami. 

The Vikings motored along without their top offensive lineman last season, losing the left tackle to ACL and MCL tears in Week 8. Minnesota, however, responded immediately by trading for longtime Jaguars LT Cam Robinson. With Robinson signing with the Texans, Darrisaw will be expected to reclaim his blindside job by Week 1. The Vikings gave Darrisaw a then-LT-record extension last summer, leaving Robinson a clear rental. As the team attempts to break in J.J. McCarthy after a lost rookie season, Darrisaw will be a pivotal component.

Prior to Tank Dell’s catastrophic knee injury in Week 16, the Texans played several games without Diggs. The 2024 trade pickup suffered an ACL tear on a noncontact play in late October. Diggs’ camp had successfully pushed the Texans to remove three years from the receiver’s Bills-designed contract, but that move ended up sending Diggs to free agency coming off the worst injury of his career. The Patriots still gave Diggs a three-year, $63.5 million deal, but the injury contributed to just $16.6M of that being guaranteed. Diggs will be expected to debut in Week 1 with New England and help Drake Maye develop.

Stefon’s younger brother has run into more injury trouble. Trevon Diggs did well to secure a big-ticket Cowboys extension before the 2023 season, as it represented a turning point for the former All-Pro. Diggs battled back from a September 2023 ACL tear, suffered in practice, to be ready by Week 1 of last season. But the Cowboys shut him down with a month remaining in it. Trouble with the same knee led to bone graft surgery, which features a lengthy recovery timetable. Diggs is far from a lock to begin the season on time, and his form upon return will likely dictate his Cowboys future.

A down tight end market benefited Engram, who collected a two-year, $23 million offer from the Broncos after being a Jaguars cap casualty. Engram managed to do so despite a season-ending injury — a shoulder labrum tear — shutting him down midway through a woeful Jags campaign. Also missing time due to hamstring trouble, Engram joined Christian Kirk in missing much of a 4-13 Jacksonville slate. The Broncos and Chargers made competitive offers to Engram, however, and the former first-round pick will step in as a key player for a passing attack otherwise dependent on Courtland Sutton staying healthy. 

Fries outdid Engram on the market, as many admirers of the unseasoned Colts blocker’s work emerged in March. The Vikings outbid the field with a five-year, $87.72 million contract. They did so even after Fries submitted just one full season as a starter and was coming off a broken leg sustained in Week 5. Off to a strong start in his Indianapolis contract year, Fries going down early likely kept his market strong. He will be expected to return for the Vikings in Week 1, reprising his role alongside longtime Colts center Ryan Kelly in the Twin Cities.

The Steelers’ tackles saw their sacks-allowed numbers become a talking point last season. While Russell Wilson and Justin Fields’ sack-prone styles leave linemen vulnerable there, the Steelers also played a full season without their first-round rookie. Fautanu was not certain to usurp Broderick Jones at right tackle last year, but even after months of lost development, the 2024 draftee is slated to man Pittsburgh’s RT post opposite Jones (as four-year LT Dan Moore Jr. departed in free agency). Fautanu will be doing so after a dislocated kneecap sidelined him in 2024.

Godwin has generated enough confidence from the Buccaneers he has now secured two pricey contracts coming off major injuries. In 2022, the franchise-tagged wideout landed a three-year, $60 million extension coming off an ACL tear. This time, Mike Evans’ longtime wingman landed a three-year, $66M deal months after a dislocated ankle shut him down. Godwin missed the second half of last season but drew big offers on the market. When Godwin went down seven games in, he was the NFL’s second-leading receiver. The Bucs will redeploy Godwin in Week 1, and they have first-rounder Emeka Egbuka joining their veteran cornerstones.

As the Broncos strengthened a top-five defense by signing Greenlaw and Talanoa Hufanga before drafting cornerback Jahdae Barron in Round 1, they will bet on two linebackers coming off season-defining injuries. Greenlaw’s Achilles tear harpooned the 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII, and it kept him off the field for all but 34 plays last season. Singleton was not part of Denver’s top-five defense, as the prolific tackler suffered an ACL tear in Week 3. Both veterans are expected to be ready well before Week 1, but this will be an area to monitor on the Broncos’ roster. 

Hargrave joined Greenlaw in missing most of the 49ers’ disappointing season. A pectoral tear shut down Hargrave in Week 3; many San Francisco maladies followed. The 49ers, who had given Hargrave a $20 million-per-year deal during Brock Purdy‘s rookie-contract window, made an early announcement the ex-Eagle standout would become a cap casualty. The Vikings will give the proven defensive tackle a bounce-back bid, betting on both he and Will Fries despite early-season injuries. Hargrave still landed a two-year, $30 million deal coming off the setback.

The Bengals’ sloppy defensive season marred an MVP-caliber Joe Burrow season, as the AFC featured a QB season so strong Patrick Mahomes hovered nowhere near the MVP perch in a 15-2 Chiefs season. Unable to challenge the Chiefs in the playoffs due to a bad defense, the Bengals lost Hill to an early-October ACL tear and Turner to a Week 11 clavicle fracture. Cincinnati struggled at just about every non- Trey Hendrickson aspect of defense last season, but missing two starting cornerbacks obviously hurt the cause. Both will be ticketed to be back in Week 1, as a spotlight shines on this unit thanks to a dismal 2024.

No team saw injuries define one side of the ball more than the Lions, whose defense fell apart to the point that street free agents were seeing key reps. Hutchinson’s hurt most, as the third-year player was the early Defensive Player of the Year frontrunner. The NFL’s 2023 pressures leader, Hutchinson amassing 7.5 sacks in five 2024 games. Hutchinson’s broken leg hurt an already-thin Lions pass rush, which had lost injury-prone Hutchinson sidekick Marcus Davenport earlier. Hutchinson still led the Lions in sacks (by a wide margin), and while questions still exist beyond him in Detroit, the new NFC powerhouse’s top defender will be back in Week 1.

Considering Lawrence’s age and injury-marred season, his Seahawks contract (three years, $32.5 million) proved a slight surprise. But Seattle is only guaranteeing the longtime Dallas defensive end $13M. That stems from a Lisfranc injury that surfaced in Week 4. The Cowboys lost both Lawrence and Micah Parsons during a Thursday-night Giants matchup, and while Parsons returned, Lawrence did not. Now 33, Lawrence will still be in line to start for a team, one employing ex-Cowboys assistant Aden Durde as defensive coordinator. But he will need to prove himself again following a lost year.

The NFL’s Lawrences would prefer to forget 2024, Dexter’s Pro Bowl nod (in a 12-game season) notwithstanding. While Trevor Lawrence collected a contract that as of now appears overpriced, at $55 million per year, the former No. 1 pick saw more injuries mount. After various sprains and a concussion limited the then-ascending passer in 2023, he battled an AC joint sprain and sustained another concussion — on an Azeez Al-Shaair hit that produced a three-game suspension. Lawrence then underwent shoulder surgery, and the Jaguars fired both their HC and GM. Liam Coen (feat. Travis Hunter) will attempt to reboot the Clemson product.

This ended up crushing fantasy seasons more than the 49ers’ campaign, as San Francisco lost a host of key starters during the latest underwhelming defense of an NFC championship. McCaffrey battled a nagging Achilles issue for most of the season, and after suiting up for a fourth game, the All-Pro running back saw a PCL malady lead to a shutdown. McCaffrey logged only 167 snaps last season, his third significantly limited by injury. The 49ers are on track to have the ninth-year RB for Week 1, but backup Isaac Guerendo will need to be identified well before the final rounds of fantasy drafts due to CMC’s health history.

Expected to be considered for the starting job during last season, McCarthy saw a meniscus tear squash any hopes he had to remove the Sam Darnold bridge from the equation. For a franchise that has dealt with a number of major QB injuries in its modern era, McCarthy’s malady brought familiar territory. It also brings big-picture questions for the Vikings, who let Darnold walk in free agency. The Vikings have thus far passed on Aaron Rodgers, despite the future Hall of Famer’s interest in completing the Brett Favre career path, and have only Sam Howell as a backup. It looks like the Vikes will count on McCarthy after a 14-3 season.

The Olave and Shaheed injuries represented a key reason the Saints drifted to the bottom of the NFL’s middle class, a residency GM Mickey Loomis has based his entire late-career mission to maintain . New Orleans lost Shaheed (meniscus surgery) in Week 6 and Olave (concussion) in Week 8. Olave suffered two concussions last season, and meetings with specialists ensued. Blame went to Derek Carr for some of Olave’s issues, due to ball placement; Olave will be expected to lead the Saints’ post-Carr era. Shaheed will have a chance to up his free agency value, as his extension expires after the 2025 season.

Not approaching his 2023 level during most of his 2024 season, Prescott suffered a severe hamstring injury that knocked him out for nine games. This came less than two months after the Cowboys gave their quarterback a record-setting extension (four years, $240 million) that no one has since approached. Prescott sustained an avulsion fracture in his hamstring, reminiscent of Tyron Smith’s 2022 setback, and is being carefully managed during the offseason program. With George Pickens now part of the operation, the Cowboys will expect their cornerstone piece to return to second-team All-Pro form this season. 

Patrick Mahomes has not approached his 2022 MVP season over the past two years. The NFL’s most accomplished QB has taken the strange path of drifting to the fourth-best performing passer in his own conference — which houses a historic collection of arms — squarely in his prime. Poor Chiefs receiver planning and injury fortune have contributed to this. Rice and Marquise Brown missed most of last season; Rice underwent surgery to repair his LCL and hamstring after a Mahomes Week 4 INT led to his top wideout going down while pursuing the interceptor. A personal conduct suspension still looms for Rice, but he is expected to be healthy soon. 

The Chiefs and Titans engaged, for 2024 at least, in a lose-lose trade last year. The Chiefs did not replace Sneed’s All-Pro-caliber form effectively, as Super Bowl LIX highlighted, but the Titans came out worse thanks to Sneed barely playing. Sneed suffered a quad injury that caused him to miss 12 games. The high-priced cornerback is expected back in Week 1, but the Titans — after a 3-14 season that led to the GM who authorized the trade (Ran Carthon) to be fired — proceeded without the No. 66 overall pick thanks to including it in the Sneed trade. The CB will need to begin justifying the costs in 2025.

Thomas has a second-team All-Pro honor on his resume, helping the Giants make a surprise 2022 playoff trip. Since, injuries have defined the former top-five pick’s career. Thomas missed seven games in 2023 and 11 last season. A foot injury sidelined Thomas last year, and a Giants O-line dependent on its blindside protector did not impress in one of the worst seasons in franchise history. Somehow, the GM at the controls (Joe Schoen) survived a spree of poor decisions. He has since identified Jaxson Dart as a long-term QB hopeful. In order to make that work, Schoen’s 2023 Thomas extension will need to pan out.

These two Raiders pass rushers have yet to play together. Wilkins missed 12 games due to a troublesome foot fracture. Although Wilkins went down in early October last year, the high-priced defensive tackle is unlikely to be ready for training camp. Considering the money the Raiders gave Wilkins, a former first-round pick whom the Dolphins could not realistically franchise tag due to cap trouble, this is a front-burner storyline. Koonce missed last season due to an ACL tear sustained in practice. The Raiders, who saw their defense tumble from ninth to 25th, re-signed Koonce (one year, $11 million) to reprise his role as a Maxx Crosby sidekick.

One of the final 49er injury dominoes to fall affected their oldest player. Joining George Kittle as a player who has crafted a Hall of Fame resume during this San Francisco surge, Williams could not protect Brock Purdy in the season’s final six games due to a bruise in his ankle joint. This nagging injury led the perennial All-Pro left tackle to see multiple specialists, but with the 49ers’ season sinking fast, they held him out. Williams, 37, will return for a 16th season. The 49ers will again rely on him, as their O-line features no other notable contract.