Could the NFL’s 18-Game Season Become a Dangerous Game Changer for Player Safety?
So what does the injury data tell us about the risk? Of course, adding another game means thereâs one more opportunity for players to get banged up and increase the total number of injuries in a given season.
But in actuality, the difference in the number of players placed on injured reserve between 2017-20 (16-game seasons) and 2021-24 (17-game seasons) is marginal. The injured reserve list consists of players who are physically unable to participate in games.
The league leaders in that category were the New York Giants with 37 in 2017, Indianapolis Colts with 33 in 2018, Jacksonville Jaguars with 29 in 2019, Philadelphia Eagles with 32 in 2020. Aside from the outlier that was the injury-ravaged 2021 Tennessee Titans (48), the leaders have placed a similar number of players on the IR: Denver Browns/Titans with 36 in 2022, Houston Texans with 32 in 2023 and Carolina Panthers with 38 in 2024.
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