NFL Injury Update: 5 Big Names Join Long List of Stars on the Shelf

There are tons of NFL stars on the bench right now due to injuries. These are top-tier stars at every position, most notably Andre Johnson at wide receiver.

Experts said and wrote that a lockout would make players more susceptible to injury due to the lack of work outs before the season began. It appears that it has.

Here are five guys who have recently joined the ranks of the unhealthy.

Andre Johnson

After a big win against Pittsburgh this week, the Houston Texans are finally on the verge of being the team that they’ve been expected to be for years. Unfortunately for them, they’ll have to continue this upward surge without their best playmaker, Andre Johnson.

The 6’3” wideout has 25 receptions for 352 yards and two touchdowns so far this year and has proven himself to be one of the most complete pass-catchers in the game today.

According to the Houston Chronicle, Johnson will be out for up to three weeks thanks to a bum hamstring. That hamstring might just keep Houston from attaining their first playoff berth in franchise history.

Gerald Sensabaugh

The Dallas Cowboys’ defense has looked much improved so far this season under new coordinator Rob Ryan. However, it will greatly miss veteran safety Gerald Sensabaugh, especially since it is a defense that relies on confusing blitz schemes that require strong secondary play.

Sensabaugh has played well this season and been a leader on that defense, totaling 19 tackles and one interception.

Sensabaugh suffered a concussion Sunday that is likely to keep him out for at least this next game. Not a good sign, considering that the Detroit Lions made most of their 21-point comeback after Sensabaugh left the game.

Jerod Mayo

When a team has a young defense that is suspect at times, that team always values a young player who plays like a veteran and is a leader by example on that defense. That is exactly why the New England Patriots will miss Jerod Mayo.

The young linebacker had accounted for 24 tackles to start this season, after amassing 175 of them last season. Mayo is one of the most underrated defensive players in the league, having averaged nearly double-digit tackles per game during his first three NFL seasons.

His sprained MCL will keep him off the field for weeks and will make W’s harder to come by in Foxboro.

Chad Henne

This one is a bit unclear at the time of this article’s writing. The Dolphins have a bye week this week and then face off against New York Jets. Chad Henne did leave this past week’s game against the Chargers with a separated shoulder.

According to the Miami Herald, Henne is optimistic about playing in the team’s next game, but the Dolphins are currently seeking a second opinion and will take a very cautious approach in dealing with the injury.

Henne hasn’t proven he can win yet, but he has proven that he can be an effective passer (868 yards and four touchdowns so far), especially throwing to a guy like Brandon Marshall. If he is required to miss significant time this season, it could spell an even earlier end to the Dolphins’ season.

Trent Cole

So far this season, Trent Cole has proven himself to be one of the best players on the Eagles’ under-performing defense. He already has 14 tackles and three sacks from the defensive end position. Impressive, especially since he was not one of their offseason acquisitions, but a guy who has been quietly thriving in Philly for seven years.

However, an injury to his calf is likely to keep him out for at least three weeks according to Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer. It’s a killer blow at a bad time for a Philadelphia defense that has struggled to live up to its hype so far in this young season.