NFL Players Returning from Injury Who Will Make Immediate Impacts in 2015

Injuries to key NFL personnel can have a drastic and lingering impact on a team's regular or postseason campaigns. This is especially true when injuries are severe enough to end a player's year.

Sometimes, teams can overcome losing a player. Other times, these injuries can completely derail a season. Even in a team's worst-case scenario, however, these players often come back to have a major impact the following year.

In a way that is not too different from the addition of a game-changing free agent or pro-ready draft selection, a player returning from injury can provide a major boost from Day 1.

In 2012, Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson returned from a torn ACL to rush for 2,097 yards. Wide receiver Jeremy Maclin missed all of the 2013 season with a torn ACL of his own but came back to amass 1,318 yards receiving and 10 touchdowns for the Philadelphia Eagles last year.

Let's take a look at those players who are returning from injury and could have an immediate and a lasting impact for their team in 2015. 

FS Jairus Byrd, New Orleans Saints

Jason Miller/Getty Images

Last offseason, the New Orleans Saints lured free safety Jairus Byrd away from the Buffalo Bills with a massive six-year, $54 million free-agent contract.

The thinking was that the Saints could pair Byrd with strong safety Kenny Vaccaro to create one of the better back-end duos in the league. Unfortunately, Byrd appeared in only four games before he went on injured reserve with a torn meniscus ligament.

The good news for the Saints is that he is participating in organized team activities (OTAs) and appears ready to come into this season at 100 percent and fulfill his potential in the New Orleans defense. 

"I think it is significant," Saints coach Sean Payton said recently, via Larry Holder of NOLA.com. "He is in good shape now and working through. There are still some maintenance things he is doing with his knee and yet to get out here, for all of these guys, but specifically a player like him (it's important)."

In 2013, Byrd was ranked eighth overall among all safeties by Pro Football Focus. Though it may be a bit premature to expect him to step back in and play at an elite level, his presence on the field in Week 1 will definitely be beneficial to the Saints. 

QB Carson Palmer, Arizona Cardinals

Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press

The season-ending knee injury suffered by Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer might not seem like one of the more impactful injuries of 2014 at first glance.

Not only had Palmer already missed three games due to other ailments before he tore his ACL, but the Cardinals didn't see their season begin to fall apart until backup quarterback Drew Stanton was lost for the year in Week 15. 

The fact remains, however, that Palmer was having one of the best seasons of his career and had Arizona looking like a legitimate Super Bowl contender. 

In six games, he threw for 1,626 yards with 11 touchdowns and just three interceptions. His passer rating of 95.6 was the second-highest of his career.

For the weeks in which he was healthy, he was ranked 11th overall among quarterbacks by Pro Football Focus.

According to Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com, Palmer has declared himself back at 100 percent and is ready for the coming season.

The Cardinals were still talented enough to make the playoffs after losing both Palmer and Stanton. It's difficult to discount them as a contender if Palmer really does come back in the same form he showed before the injury.

WR Victor Cruz, New York Giants

Kathy Willens/Associated Press

The incredible rookie season produced by New York Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr. helped many fans forget that another standout pass-catcher was lost for the year after only six games.

Receiver Victor Cruz was on pace for nearly 900 yards receiving (337 yards through six games) before a knee injury ended his campaign.

Offensively, the Giants survived the loss of Cruz and took some major steps forward in coordinator Ben McAdoo's system. New York finished the year ranked ninth overall in passing offense, according to Pro Football Focus.

With Cruz back in the lineup, the Giants should be even better in Year 2 of the McAdoo era. 

Last month, he indicated that he was back to about 75 or 80 percent health. "We got (to cutting). We started running some intermediate routes on air and stuff like that. It's feeling good. It's feeling good so far. I think I'm 75-80 percent right now. It's just a matter of building it." He said, according to SI.com.

It will be good to see Cruz back on the playing field, and it will also be interesting to see how much Beckham can benefit from his presence.

C Alex Mack, Cleveland Browns

David Richard/Associated Press

The Cleveland Browns jumped out to a surprising 6-3 record at the beginning of last season before struggling down the stretch.

Part of the problem was that Pro Bowl center Alex Mack, who suffered a broken leg in Week 6, was not available for a stretch run.

He was rated the fourth-best overall center by Pro Football Focus for the five weeks in which he appeared. Cleveland averaged 122 net rushing yards per game with him in the lineup. That average dropped to 90.5 yards per game after his injury.

According to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal, Mack is back to practicing on a limited basis, which is an encouraging sign.

"

#Browns backup C Ryan Seymour filling in for Alex Mack in team drills. Mack is practicing on limited basis, though.

— Nate Ulrich (@NateUlrichABJ) June 2, 2015"

With journeyman Josh McCown and a disappointing Johnny Manziel battling for Cleveland's starting quarterback job, the Browns are expected to go with a run-first offense in 2015. If Mack can find his way back into the lineup and at pre-injury form, that run-first philosophy might just have some success.

RB Danny Woodhead, San Diego Chargers

John Cordes/Associated Press

The San Diego Chargers used the 15th overall pick in this year's draft on former Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon. This is why it might be easy to forget that Chargers running back Danny Woodhead is on track to return for the season opener.

Woodhead appeared in just three games last year before suffering a broken ankle. Though he isn't likely to prevent Gordon from taking the starting job, Woodhead appears ready to return and contribute as a role player.

"I do feel really good," Woodhead said recently, per Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune. "I feel very healthy, so that's definitely a good thing."

A 5'8", 200-pound backup like Woodhead might not seem like an immediate impact-maker. However, it's worth noting that he was responsible for 1,034 combined rushing/receiving yards in 2013 and was ranked seventh overall among all running backs by Pro Football Focus that season.

LB Sean Lee, Dallas Cowboys

Brandon Wade/Associated Press

Dallas Cowboys linebacker Sean Lee has an injury history and has missed plenty of time over the past few seasons. When he is healthy, however, he is an impact player for the Cowboys and one of the better impact defenders in the NFL (11 interceptions, two touchdowns in two seasons).

Lee suffered a torn ACL at the beginning of OTAs last season and wasn't around to help Dallas along its run to the playoffs. In 2013, he missed four games to injury but still finished the year ranked seventh overall among inside linebackers by Pro Football Focus.

It has now been a full year since Lee's last injury. Though he will have to reclaim his role as a team leader, Lee could be poised to help the Cowboys get a little bit further in the postseason this year.

He recently said the following, per Todd Archer of ESPN.com:

"

Obviously I have to go out there and stay healthy. There’s definitely things that I have to come back and show. I think physically I’ll be able to come out and play and be able to make plays. But that’s one of those things obviously you have go out and show that. You have to show it every day and that’s something I’ll be ready for.

"

If Lee can remain healthy through the offseason and regain his role as a defensive leader, then expect to see an improved defense when Dallas takes the field this fall.

LB Robert Mathis, Indianapolis Colts.

AJ Mast/Associated Press

The Indianapolis Colts managed to reach the AFC title game last season, even with one of the franchise's all-time-great defenders watching from the sidelines.

Outside linebacker Robert Mathis was originally suspended for the first four games of the 2014 season for violation of the league's performance-enhancing drug policy. However, he suffered a torn Achilles in September and did not see a regular-season snap.

Mathis appears determined to make his way back in time for this campaign. 

"

Robert Mathis on #WTHR on returning by training camp: "I said it. I meant it. I'll be back by September." #Colts

— George Bremer (@gmbremer) June 1, 2015"

If the 34-year-old seems like an unlikely candidate to make a big impact, just remember that he led the league with 19.5 sacks just two seasons ago.

While it would be unrealistic to expect Mathis to come back and again lead the league in quarterback takedowns, it would also be a bit naive (he hasn't had fewer than seven sacks in a season since 2003) to expect him to have no impact whatsoever.  

LB Stephen Tulloch, Detroit Lions

Rick Osentoski/Associated Press

Fans might be inclined to chuckle when we bring up Detroit Lions linebacker Stephen Tulloch's 2014 season-ending injury (he tore an ACL while celebrating). However, the fact is the injury cost Detroit one of its better defenders after only three games.

Through the first three weeks of 2014, Tulloch was rated sixth overall among all inside linebackers by Pro Football Focus. For the 2013 season, he was rated second overall, behind only NaVorro Bowman of the San Francisco 49ers.

Tulloch said the following of his recovery, per Dave Birkett and Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press:

"

I'm back, I'm healthy, I would be out there practicing if they let me. I do drills. You see me out there running. I'm sure you got footage. I'm back, 2014's over. I'll be in the middle again this year and we'll have a great defense and a great team.

"

If everything goes according to plan, the Lions will have one of the league's best linebackers back by the time the regular season rolls around.