10 NFL Teams Already Dealing with Injury Issues in 2012

Early-season injury concerns can come in a few different forms. They could relate to an injury suffered in the offseason that will force a player out of the lineup. They also could surround the return of potential starters from major injuries last season.

The difference is that an offseason injury means the team won't have the player on the field, while the recovered players are just a cause for worry.

Either way, the following teams will be thinking about injuries as the 2012 season begins.

Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings are facing a lot of uncertainty this season with Adrian Peterson.

His late-season knee injury puts the early part of his season in doubt. Even if he's able to take the field in Week 1, his carries are expected to be limited.

Minnesota is taking a risk if it rushes Peterson back too early. The knee is an unpredictable part of the body, and if he isn't fully recovered, Peterson risks re-aggravating the injury.

Minnesota is in the early stages of a rebuilding process, so it wouldn't be wise to risk further injury to Peterson for what already looks like a lost season.

Another thing the Vikings must consider is the large contract Peterson signed last offseason. They've invested a guaranteed $36 million dollars in Peterson, which should be reason enough to slowly work him back into the lineup.

Atlanta Falcons

Lofa Tatupu was supposed to battle Akeem Dent for the starting middle linebacker job, but a pectoral injury will force him to miss the entire season (via ESPN.com).

Both players are looking to replace Curtis Lofton, who signed with the New Orleans Saints this offseason. Lofton approached or surpassed the 100-tackle mark in each of his first four seasons in the league, and it won't be easy for the Atlanta Falcons to make up that production.

The Tatupu injury is concerning because of his durability issues. He sat out the entire 2011 season mainly because of issues with his knees. At this point, it's safe to say that Tatupu's career is in real jeopardy.

Dent is a talented young player with upside. However, he only recorded nine tackles last season. Expecting him to easily fill the void is a bit of stretch.

Philadelphia Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles have suffered two significant injuries prior to the start of the 2012 season.

Both Jason Peters and Mike Patterson have an uncertain future, with nobody knowing when they'll be able to return to the team. Peters suffered a pair of Achilles tendon injuries, while Patterson is suffering from some issues with his brain.

Patterson's injury and the uncertain future of Brandon Graham are what prompted the Eagles to use their first-round pick on Fletcher Cox. However, even with Cox in the mix, Philadelphia will miss what Patterson brings to the table.

Of their group of defensive tackles, Patterson is the best at occupying blockers and stuffing the run. Players like Cox and Cullen Jenkins are better at penetrating the pocket.

When healthy, Peters is one of the better left tackles in the league. Philadelphia is hoping that free-agent addition Demetress Bell can step in and fill the void.

Bell has a lot talent but has been inconsistent thus far in his career.

Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns have a major hole along the interior of their defensive line because of the injury to Phil Taylor.

According to Tony Grossi of ESPN Cleveland, Taylor's pectoral injury is expected to keep him out for around 12 weeks. Losing Taylor will impact the Browns' ability to stop the run and generate pressure on the quarterback.

Taylor is a versatile player with the size to occupy blockers and quickness to penetrate the pocket. The trio of Scott Paxton, Billy Winn and John Hughes will be asked to fill the void left by Taylor.

There's some real talent on this Browns defense, but Taylor's loss will really be felt.

The defensive tackle tandem of Taylor and Ahtyba Rubin had the potential to be truly dominant. Now, the Browns have to see the interior of their defensive line as a problem area.

Tennessee Titans

The Tennessee Titans are dealing with some uncertainty at the wide receiver position.

Their projected top target, Kenny Britt, is suffering from lingering knee issues. According to a tweet by Jim Wyatt, Britt has undergone three knee surgeries in the past 10 months.

Britt's potential replacement, Kendall Wright, has been dealing with some injury issues of his own. Wright injured his shoulder early in offseason workouts. However, the injury isn't a major concern, and he's expected to be ready for the start of training camp.

Still, with Britt's uncertain future, the Titans offense is less explosive.

Wright might have a ton of talent, but he's still a rookie. Most rookie wide receivers need time to adjust to the NFL.

I expect Wright to have some early struggles as he fights to learn pro-style concepts. While at Baylor, he worked in a spread attack that is very different from what the Titans run.

There's a lot of pressure on Wright now with Britt potentially out of the lineup. The success of Matt Hasselbeck/Jake Locker and Chris Johnson depends on someone in the receiving corps threatening the deep part of the field.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert expects Rashard Mendenhall to open the season on the physically unable to perform list. This will require Mendenhall to sit out the first six weeks of the season.

Pittsburgh doesn't exactly have a ton of talent at the running back position, so Mendenhall will be missed.

At this point, it appears that Isaac Redman will get the bulk of the carries. John Clay, Jonathan Dwyer and Chris Rainey will all have a chance to earn carries as well.

The one hope the Steelers have is the fact that they improved their offensive line.

The additions of David DeCastro and Mike Adams allowed Pittsburgh to shift players around. These moves give Pittsburgh's running backs a better chance to succeed.

Baltimore Ravens

Terrell Suggs is being very optimistic about his recovery timetable, but it appears very unlikely that he returns before November.

The loss of Suggs has a chance to really hurt the production of this defense. Last season, he recorded 14 sacks, which was more than double the amount anyone else on the roster recorded.

Without Suggs in the lineup, the Baltimore Ravens will turn to several younger players to pick up the slack. Courtney Upshaw, Paul Kruger, Sergio Kindle and Pernell McPhee will all be asked to increase their pass-rush production.

Suggs isn't just a fierce pass-rusher, as he also does a great job creating turnovers. He won the Defensive Player of the Year award in large part because of the nine total turnovers he created.

The Ravens will miss his production and game-changing ability this season.

Houston Texans

Most of the news out of the Houston Texans camp is positive, but there are still concerns surrounding the durability of some of their stars.

Last season's injuries to Matt Schaub, Mario Williams and Andre Johnson derailed the team's chance at a Super Bowl appearance. The issue isn't last season, though; it's the fact that both Schaub and Johnson haven't been able to remain healthy.

Schaub has a laundry list of injuries that forced him to miss time throughout his career. During his time in Houston, Schaub has only started a full 16 games twice in his five years with the team.

A team is going to have a hard time finding consistency with its quarterback in and out of the lineup.

The same can be said for Johnson, as he's missed a lot of time due to injuries. Of his nine seasons in Houston, he only played a full season four times.

These are two of the Texans' most important players on the team, and the fact that they have durability issues is concerning.

Seattle Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks have a ton of projected starters returning from major injuries last season.

This list includes Sidney Rice, Russell Okung, John Moffitt and James Carpenter. That entire list consists of offensive players, with three of them coming from the offensive line.

Sidney Rice is one of the keys, as the Seahawks lack great weapons at wide receiver.

According to Danny O'Neil of The Seattle Times, Rice has missed more regular-season games than he's played in the past two seasons. This tells you all you need to know about how reliable Rice is at this stage in his career.

The Seahawks' franchise left tackle, Okung, has been equally fragile. In his first two seasons, he has missed a total of six games.

Okung's absence has really hurt the stability of Seattle's offensive line. The Seahawks need him to remain healthy if they hope to have a chance at the playoffs this season.

Moffitt and Carpenter both won starting jobs as rookies but suffered season-ending injuries. Moffitt has been cleared to return and should be able to reclaim his starting job. However, Carpenter's ability to return by Week 1 is in real jeopardy, according to O'Neil.

Kansas City Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs' playoff hopes depend on the healthy return of several projected starters.

They need Matt Cassel, Jamaal Charles, Peyton Hillis, Tony Moeaki and Eric Berry to remain healthy this season. With this group on the field, the Chiefs have enough talent to win their division and make a playoff appearance.

Kansas City isn't only looking for Cassel to return fully healthy, but he also needs to step up his game. If he's able to provide above-average play, this team has a real shot at making a run to the Super Bowl.

Cassel is reportedly fully healthy and ready for training camp. In order for him to perform at a high level, he'll need Charles and Hillis to produce.

The one-two combination of Charles and Hillis has the potential to be the most dangerous rushing attack in the league. Their potential can overcome Cassel's struggles.

Hillis must fight his way through nagging injuries, while Charles needs to show that his explosiveness has returned.

Defensively, the Chiefs secondary looks a lot more dangerous with Berry in the lineup. He's both an effective cover man and run defender. However, his ability to generate turnovers is something thing this defense really values.