A few NFL rookies have already suffered severe injuries. Here’s why the Steelers season hinges on the health of a few star players.
Most injuries are completely unpredictable and unavoidable in the NFL. Some players can go their whole careers without more than a few bumps and bruises, while others are suffering season-ending injuries that prove to have detrimental impacts on the success of the team.
We witnessed this with the Steelers in 2019. Coming off a season in which he led the NFL in passing yards, Ben Roethlisberger missed all but two games of the 2019 season with three torn ligaments in his throwing elbow that required major surgery to repair.
An injury to your franchise quarterback is almost always going to spell the end of any promising season you may have had. However, major injuries to key players at other positions can still shape the success of a team. Unfortunately, we have seen a few of these before the 2021 season even kicked off.
On August 24, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Jacksonville Jaguars first-round pick, Travis Etienne, suffered a serious Lisfranc foot injury that will likely end his rookie season before it ever got started. This is a big blow to a team with a rookie quarterback, as the Jaguars were no doubt going to use Etienne as a safety valve in the passing game for Trevor Lawrence and an explosive change-of-pace runner.
Just days before, it was reported that Chicago Bears 39th overall pick this year, offensive tackle Teven Jenkins, could miss the entire season after undergoing back surgery.
These are big losses for teams that were hoping to bounce back this year. For the Steelers, their season may hinge upon the health of a few players this year.
Steelers banking on good health
Because of the salary cap situation following the pandemic, Pittsburgh lost a great deal of quality depth at some important positions this offseason. Much of their defense hit the open market in free agency to seek out the best offer, while they lost all but one starting offensive lineman from 2020.
The Steelers have been very fortunate to avoid any major injuries so far in training camp and the preseason, but that string of good health isn’t guaranteed to last.
Obviously, we know Ben Roethlisberger’s injury history, and an injury to him would essentially wipe away any slim chances of a Super Bowl this year. However, there are plenty of other players the Steelers can’t afford to lose.
Najee Harris is going to be a key offensive contributor for the team in 2021, and he’s clearly a cut above the rest of the group they have. While the Steelers aren’t guaranteed to have a better rushing attack than the one we saw in 2020, most assume they will be much improved because of their first-round pick. If he were to go down with a season-ending injury, we would be back at square one.
Likewise, Pittsburgh’s potential success hinges on the health of star players like T.J. Watt and Minkah Fitzpatrick on defense, while losing a dynamic player like Chase Claypool or Diontae Johnson would be devastating to their offensive success this year. In addition, the offensive line is extremely thin as is, and losing Kevin Dotson or Kendrick Green could be a big blow.
We can never predict the time and place an injury will occur and we wish players like Travis Etienne and Teven Jenkins a speedy recovery as we hope for some better luck when it comes to the health of the Steelers in 2021.