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Description

Injuries have profound consequences in the National Football League (NFL), impacting overall team performance and players on an individual level. Roster availability drives team success, alters strategy, and increases the reliance on backup players. Beyond their large-scale toll, injuries can greatly influence the trajectory of a player's career, have profound psychological impacts, and influence contract negotiations. By examining injury patterns across the NFC North during the 2025-2026 season, this study seeks to contextualize seasonal trends, highlighting when concussions, soft tissue, and joint injuries most commonly occur.

Injury reports and injured reserve lists from NFC North teams (Lions, Bears, Packers, and Vikings) during the 2025-2026 NFL season were compiled. Injuries were recorded by player, position, and week of initial occurrence. Each injury was counted once at onset; repeated listings of the same injury across consecutive weeks were excluded to avoid overrepresentation. Injuries were required to be officially reported on the NFL weekly injury report or injured reserve list. Soft tissue injuries included muscle strains and non-rupture tendon injuries (e.g., hamstring, calf, quadriceps, groin). Joint injuries included articular, ligamentous, tendon rupture, and bony pathology (e.g., knee, ankle, shoulder, elbow). Non-injury-related absences were excluded. Temporal patterns were assessed by dividing the season into early (Weeks 1-6), mid (Weeks 7-12), and late season including playoffs (Weeks 13-18 and postseason). Injury frequencies were analyzed to describe temporal patterns across the season.

Across the NFC North during the 2025-2026 season, 388 injuries were reported on weekly injury reports and injured reserve lists, including 30 concussions, 138 soft tissue injuries, and 220 joint injuries. Early season injuries (Weeks 1-6) totaled 115, consisting of 7 concussions (6.1%), 38 soft tissue injuries (33.0%), and 70 joint injuries (60.9%). During mid-season (Weeks 7-12), injury burden increased to 136 injuries, with joint injuries comprising the majority (n=96, 70.6%), alongside 31 soft tissue injuries (22.8%) and 9 concussions (6.6%). Late season and postseason play (Weeks 13-18 and playoffs) demonstrated the highest injury burden (n=137), including 27 soft tissue injuries (19.7%), with a sustained predominance of joint injuries (n=96, 70.1%) and a higher proportion of concussions (n=14, 10.2%). Soft tissue injuries declined progressively across the season, whereas joint injuries increased from early to mid-season and remained elevated through late-season play, reflecting shifts in injury patterns.

Injuries across the NFC North demonstrated clear temporal variation throughout the 2025-2026 NFL season. Soft tissue injuries were more common early, while joint injuries increased through mid-season and remained predominant during late-season and postseason play. Concussion incidence also rose late in the season. These findings highlight the utility of publicly reported injury data for identifying season-long injury trends and may support future studies evaluating mechanisms and prevention strategies.

Publication Date

5-8-2026

Disciplines

Orthopedics

Comments

2026 Research Day Corewell Health West, Grand Rapids, MI, May 8, 2026. Abstract 2096

Temporal Patterns of Concussions, Soft Tissue, and Joint Injuries in the NFC North: Insights from the 2025-2026 NFL Season

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