NFL Player Injuries Week 3: 7 Injuries with the Biggest Impact on Upcoming Games

Only a few weeks into the 2011 NFL season, and there already have been some devastating injuries.

While players like Peyton Manning were injured before the season even started, the intensity of regular-season games causes a lot more players to lose playing time.

This Sunday was especially bad for some high-profile stars. Fans and fantasy owners alike are left watching the injury report, hoping their team will not face a major set back.

Unfortunately, the teams carrying these seven players will most likely have to find some quality replacements.

Jamaal Charles

Star running back Jamaal Charles stepped awkwardly out of bounds on Sunday, and early reports indicate he is out for the season with a torn ACL. This could be the most costly injury for any team to date.

Last season's AFC West champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, have already dropped their first two games by a combined score of 89-10. They look hapless on offense and defense. Now they lose their most explosive player.

With Charles out, the Chiefs seemed destined to have a very long season. They only thing they might win is the rights to draft Andrew Luck. 

The injury also hurts millions of fantasy owners who took the speedster in the first round of their drafts. It seems it is now time to look at the waiver wire for replacements.

Tony Romo

Despite being hit hard by Carlos Rogers in the first half of Sunday's game, Tony Romo was able to finish the game and finish it well. After missing a few series, he returned to the field and led the Dallas Cowboys in a come-from-behind victory over the San Francisco 49ers.

The hit on Romo was severe enough that he suffered a fractured rib. While he seems likely to play through the injury as he did on Sunday, it will be something that stays with him for the remainder of the season.

Every defensive player will do his best to get an extra hit on the quarterback. His toughness will be tested dozens of times every game. In their Week 3 matchup against the rival Washington Redskins, players might put a bounty on his head.

Only time will tell if Romo has the fortitude to continue to get up after being knocked down.

Arian Foster

Arian Foster missed Week 1 with a strained hamstring, and now it seems as though the problem is not going away.

He re-aggravated his hamstring against the Miami Dolphins and did not return for the second half. 

Usually, hamstring injuries are only healed with time off, and rushing back to the field is a recipe for disaster.

With the Houston Texans starting 2-0, they can afford to give Foster some more time off to let his hamstring heal and let him regain his strength. The New Orleans Saints will be a tough test, but one loss is worth having a healthy running back.

The NFL season is a long one, and the team will be better off if it waits for Foster to be 100 percent.

Michael Vick

It was a big game for Michael Vick. He was trying to go into his old place and defeat the team that used to embrace him.

Unfortunately, things went from bad to worse.

Michael Vick left Sunday night's game with a concussion and could be out for a few weeks. The Philadelphia Eagles lost the game.

The Eagles are now left with Mike Kafka at quarterback unless Vince Young can return from his hamstring injury. Young would be able to win a few games if needed, but Kafka has very limited experience and would have a hard time replacing a player as dynamic as Vick.

For the Eagles, he better start learning real fast.

Nick Mangold

Nick Mangold sprained his ankle in the first quarter of the New York Jets game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Although the Jaguars were not a true threat, as apparent by the 32-3 final score, Mangold's injury has a chance to be disastrous for the Jets.

The three-time Pro Bowl player has been a leader on the offense, and his skill has allowed the Jets to be one of the best rushing teams in the league over the past few years.

Mangold will have an MRI on Monday, but if he has to miss an extended period of time, it will definitely hurt the Jets as they attempt to win their first Super Bowl since 1969. 

Malcom Floyd

Malcom Floyd left Sunday's game against the New England Patriots with a groin injury, and the San Diego Chargers all of a sudden become less explosive on offense.

The Chargers have other weapons, but the key to their success has been having big targets that can go up and get the ball. Without Floyd, they lose a large target that is useful all over the field, and especially in the red zone.

Floyd has 104 receiving yards on five catches this season, and he has kept a lot of pressure off Vincent Jackson and Antonio Gates. They will still get their targets, but the two will see a lot more double teams without big No. 80 across the field.

Next week against the division-rival Kansas City Chiefs, the Chargers would love to put a nail in the coffin. It will be easier that the Chiefs are without Jamaal Charles, but it would be a cake-walk with Floyd also. 

Braylon Edwards

One team that cannot afford a wide receiver injury is the San Francisco 49ers. Unfortunately, they might have just lost their most talented receiver for some time.

Braylon Edwards limped off the field against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, and it left the team without a go-to target outside of Vernon Davis. With Michael Crabtree already battling injuries, the 49ers are left with little experience at wide out.

Ted Ginn, Jr. showed he can still be a threat on special teams, but he has shown little in his career as an offensive player. The 49ers hope Kyle Williams can step up as he did when he made a spectacular touchdown catch in the second quarter of Sunday's game.

Otherwise, Frank Gore might be in line for some 40-carry games.