NFL Preseason: 20 Most Devastating Training Camp Injuries

It’s not an NFL season without a growing laundry list of injuries in the preseason.

Some dings turn out to be inconsequential, and the player's back for the Week 1 kickoff. Other guys really did get pounded by a bolt of unfortunate lightning and won’t get their names in a box score until 2012.

We’ve only been in training camp for a little over two weeks, and already teams are tinkering with rosters after losing one guy or another. More than 10 players have been placed on injured reserve. Hopefully that’s not an injury trend that continues (likely blamable on the lockout).

Either way, let’s review and see who’s impacted the most so far.

Baron Batch (RB), Steelers: Out for Season (ACL)

Batch was a seventh-round pick that ended up turning a lot of heads in training camp. Was he going to take away carries from Rashard Mendenhall? No, at least not until much later in the season.

I'm only including him on here because so many Steeler fans fell in love with the youngster only to watch his season snuffed out a moment later. Chalk this up to a Fanbase Injury (which everyone will totally forget about when Mendenhall scores his first touchdown).

Ike Taylor (CB), Steelers: Out for Near Term (Thumb)

Though he’s out for the rest of the preseason, all signs point to the Steelers mainstay cornerback being ready for the regular season. He had a pin inserted in his broken thumb on Tuesday.

In his words, “They gotta make me not practice for me not to be out here.” The only consideration is that with a sore and taped thumb, a few interceptions may end up being just pass deflections (drops).

Jerome Murphy (DB), Rams: Out for Long Term (Ankle)

Murphy was a sophomore cornerback that was likely going to step into a bigger role this season for the Rams.

He is scheduled to have surgery on his ankle on Wednesday, and the team will make a decision whether or not to put him on IR after that. 

Hiram Eugene (S), Raiders: Done for Season (Hip)

Eugene was Michael Huff’s backup at the safety position, so this is by no means a catastrophic injury. But Eugene did spell Huff a decent amount last season.

If Huff can stay healthy, this won’t be a huge issue, but it never feels good to have no real backup for the backstop in your secondary.

David Gettis (WR), Panthers: Done for Year (ACL)

NFL sophomore David Gettis was supposed to be Steve Smith’s No. 2 in Carolina. This is an offense that is already struggling to put the pieces back together and will look to Legedu Naanee (who?) to fill the void.

Cam Newton will have two new big tight ends to throw at in Jeremy Shockey and Greg Olson, but the Panthers will miss Gettis as a downfield option.

Tashard Choice (RB), Cowboys: Out for Short Term (Calf)

After getting hurt on the first day of practice, signs point to Choice being ready for the season. But with a time-sharing role with fragile Felix Jones, the Cowboys should be wary that Marion Barber’s replacement is already watching snaps from the sideline.

He hasn’t missed a game in his career yet, so hopefully this was just a preseason tweak, not a harbinger of things to come. 

Mike Sims-Walker (WR), Rams: Out for Short Term (Groin)

If Sims-Walker can get off the sidelines, he’ll be the Rams number one receiver. But like last year, he’s dealing with nagging (some would say “suspect”) injuries again.

The injury seems like it’ll only affect the preseason but if that changes, Sims-Walker’s absence will be a lot more problematic for an offense looking to take a leap to that next level.

Sam Bradford seems ready. He just needs someone to throw the ball to.

Kenny Britt (WR), Titans: Out for Short Term (Hamstring)

Britt was back at practice on Tuesday but said he’s still feeling his hamstring strain.

Few injuries are more frustrating than continually tweaked muscles. They have a funny way of rearing their heads at the worst times through out the season.

Nate Washington and Justin Gage aren’t striking fear in the hearts of many defensive backfields. If Britt ends up missing time, the Titans offense becomes exactly one-dimensional (though Chris Johnson isn’t the worst of dimensions).

Marcus Thomas (DL), Broncos: Out for Near Term (Pectoral)

Thomas was supposed to be an anchor on a rebuilding defensive line. And then he and Ty Warren went down within a few minutes of each other during practice.

Warren's injury is more painful for the Broncos but losing depth at defensive line was the last thing the Broncos wanted to start the season. Luckily, his injury does not appear as serious as Warren's.

Maurice Jones-Drew (RB), Jaguars: Out for Short Term (Knee)

I know what Jones-Drew said yesterday, that he’s fine, and it looks like he’s expected to be back on the field by the season opener.

But this is a running back that makes his money pounding people, and he spent an offseason having his knee repaired (meniscus). Any Jacksonville or fantasy manager can tell you how frustrating his participation in the running game was last year.

Except for an electric stretch in the middle of the season, he was either a non-factor or not playing. That Jack Del Rio has been so hesitant to get him preseason action should be a red flag.

I can tell you that I won’t be bidding on him in my fantasy draft.

Adrian Wilson (S), Cardinals: Out for Short Term (Biceps)

The Cardinals gave up the 10th most pass yards and third most rush yards in the NFL last year. Wilson’s torn biceps will keep him out for the rest of the preseason, so his status for the regular season is pretty murky.

The Cardinals have not been forthcoming with a firm timetable on his return, but either way, this is a defense that will certainly feel the loss of one of its leaders.

Terrell Owens (WR), [TBD]: Out for Short Term (Knee)

Owens's knee problems are only affecting his ability to find a team to play for right now. He still hasn't recovered from ACL surgery a mere four months ago.

No matter who signs the aging, mouthy, a-little-left-in-the-tank wide out, the terms of the deal will most likely reflect TO's bum wheel.

Keith Brookings (LB), Cowboys: Out for Short Term (Hamstring)

Brookings hasn’t missed a game since 2001 and the Cowboys haven’t released too much information about the severity of his injury. Likely, he’s being held out for precautionary reasons.

He’ll turn 36 this season, and Jason Garrett doesn’t need to put any more miles on him than necessary.

Though Sean Lee is supposed to take Brookings spot eventually, if the veteran linebacker really is starting to wear down, the Cowboys will have lost an important presence in their midway.

Tracy Porter (CB), Saints: Out for Short Term (Knee)

The Saints were one of the league’s best passing defenses and Porter played a significant role in that ranking, not to mention the nostalgia of his clutch Super Bowl XLIV pick.

Any time a cover corner has knee surgery, expectations should be tempered. Porter is back in practice but no word on his game availability. 

Chris Cooley (TE), Redskins, out for Mid Term (Knee)

As of this week, Dr James Andrews thinks Cooley will miss the next four weeks. With a week or two of practice to get his feet back, that probably means he’s going to miss at least the first week of the season if not more.

That’s bad news for an already weak Redskins offense and the John Beck Experiment, though Fred Davis has shown to be a worthy target. Cooley did start 2010 with ankle questions and then played the whole season catching the passes all over the field (except the end zone).

Michael Crabtree (WR), 49ers: Out for Near Term (Foot)

The 49ers have been pretty mum on the severity of Crabtree’s injury, so it’s tough to gauge how long his flat tire will keep him out. The most obvious indication that it’ll be long given the Braylon Edwards signing.

It’s tough to call Edwards a prime receiver, but he’s good enough that his presence does make you wonder how long the 49ers think they’ll be without their No. 1 option. There have also been rumors (just rumors) of Crabtree being put on the physically unable to perform list, which would be an automatic six games on the sideline.

On the upside, Crabtree was seen at practice this week with a walking boot on.

Robert Turner (C), Jets: Out for 8 to 10 Weeks (Knee)

Turner was filling in for the injured Nick Mangold, so the Jets will have to spend some money on a new center to start the season. Offensive lineman injuries are always hard to watch, and Mangold’s was no exception as JJ Watt rolled onto his leg during Monday Night Football and snapped it.

This is a very unfortunate turn of events for a team that relies so heavily on the run, has shaky Mark Sanchez at the helm and is already paper thin along the offensive line.

Ron Edwards (DT), Panthers: Done for Season (Triceps)

Edwards was slated to be a starting defensive tackle on a defense that sorely needed a good front line. This was a defense that hung out at various levels of the basement for all run-stopping categories.

While Edwards is not a name-brand guy and is somewhat long in the tooth, you can’t discount the impact of losing a veteran of the trenches on a rebuilding team.

Mikel Leshoure (RB), Lions: Done for Season (Achilles)

Just when you think the Lions have expelled whatever crazy curse the football gods have damned them with, they snuff out a guy like Leshoure.

While Jahvid Best was, and still is, the starter, Leshoure was supposed to be a solid change-of-pace back (two inches taller, 30 pounds heavier) and bolster the league's 24th ranked rush offense.

The Lions have since made due with patchwork guys like Jerome Harrison and Mike Bell, but that’s no replacement for a second-rounder billed as a potential starting tailback of the future.

Ty Warren (DT), Broncos: Out, Likely Done for Season (Triceps)

This is a huge blow for the Broncos. Warren is absolutely a destructive force in the trenches and his loss, as a big signing from the Patriots, is catastrophic for a defense trying to rebuild itself.

The Broncos organization and John Fox both pride themselves on stopping the run (though neither has been that good at it recently), and Warren’s presence was billed as a significant piece of that plan.

Hopefully, Brodrick Bunkley can finally prove why Philly burned a first-round pick on him.