By: KABIR SIHOTA
Sympathy pain is real, and it’s possible you’re a little sore this morning after watching notable NFL players drop like flies throughout the NFL in Week 2. It was, unfortunately, one of the most injury-plagued days of football ever experienced in 14 seasons covering this league. Here’s a rundown of the five teams hit hardest on a painful afternoon in the National Football League.
5. Carolina Panthers
This is notable simply because it’s an injury to a big-time player, but the Carolina Panthers are hoping it’s a small-time injury for McCaffrey, who left the fourth quarter of Sunday’s loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after hurting his ankle.
Everyone connected to that organization, and practically everyone who picked first overall in fantasy football this summer, will be very worried about this as they await the results of Run CMC’s MRI on Monday.
4. Indianapolis Colt
Key injuries Sunday: S Malik Hooker (Achilles’ tendon)
While T.Y. Hilton, Zach Pascal, and rookie Michael Pittman Jr. might give Indy the wide receiver depth to overcome a run without Campbell, they’d presumably prefer not to rely heavily on rookie third-round pick Julian Blackmon in Hooker’s absence. Blackmon performed pretty well in Hooker’s stead Sunday, but it’s been a particularly limited offseason for a player who is nine months removed from tearing his ACL.
WR Parris Campbell (knee)
3. Denver Broncos
Key injuries on Sunday: QB Drew Lock (shoulder), WR Courtland Sutton (knee, cramping)
Keep in mind the Broncos were already operating without starters Ja’Wuan James (COVID-19 opt-out), Von Miller (ankle), and A.J. Bouye (shoulder). It’s pretty daunting.
2. New York Giants
Key injuries on Sunday: RB Saquon Barkley (knee), WR Sterling Shepard (toe)
With all due respect to Shepard, who departed during the first half of yet another New York Giants loss Sunday, this is all about Barkley. If the rebuilding Giants had any shot of competing under the tutelage of a first-year head coach, with a defense in transition and with a mistake-prone quarterback in 2020, it was going to be because the 2018 Offensive Rookie of the Year bounced back from an injury-plagued sophomore season in order to dominate.
1. San Francisco 49ers
Key injuries on Sunday: Edge Nick Bosa (knee), QB Jimmy Garopollo (ankle), RB Raheem Mostert (knee), DL Solomon Thomas (knee)
Bosa and Garoppolo might be the two most important members of the San Francisco 49ers roster. The former is suspected to have a torn ACL, while the latter is likely to miss time because of the high-ankle sprain he suffered in the first half of Sunday’s completely unvictorious victory over the Jets.
