NFL Player Injuries: 4 Injuries That Could Be Costly for Their Teams

Every week there are key injuries and this week was no different, as players like Mario Williams of the Houston Texans and Chad Clifton of the Green Bay Packers, were injured. It's extremely costly when teams lose key starters and could be the difference between a team making and missing the playoffs.

Read on for injury news from Week 5 on Williams, Clifton and two others. 

Chad Clifton OT, Green Bay Packers

Chad Clifton injured his right leg against the Atlanta Falcons when he tried to block Atlanta defensive end Ray Edwards from getting to quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Clifton immediately went to the ground and was helped off the field by the trainers. 

Clifton was carted off to the locker room and the team said his return was unlikely. The loss of Clifton coupled with Bryan Bulaga's injury gives the Packers a depleted offensive line and definitely is a cause for concern. Still, it always helps when Aaron Rodgers is your quarterback and can scramble effectively. 

Tarvaris Jackson QB, Seattle Seahawks

Tarvaris Jackson strained his pectoral against the New York Giants in a 36-25 Seattle victory. The Seattle Seahawks railed to win the game behind backup quarterback Charlie Whitehurst but Seattle head coach Pete Carroll would definitely prefer to have Jackson under center. 

The Seahawks are lucky to have a bye week next week, that way Jackson can take his time to recover properly. If the injury is not a long term issue then Jackson seems like he'll be back in Week 7.

Mario Williams LB, Houston Texans

Mario Williams of the Houston Texans suffered a pectoral injury against the Oakland Raiders and is scheduled to undergo an MRI tomorrow to determine the severity of his injury. Williams is a defensive anchor for the Texans and would be a huge loss if out for an extended period of time.

The Texans are hoping for a strain because a tear would, most likely, end his season and deal a big time blow to the Texans. 

Kerry Rhodes S, Arizona Cardinals

Kerry Rhodes of the Arizona Cardinals left the game with a foot injury against the Minnesota Vikings. The Cardinals already have an awful defensive secondary, so losing Rhodes for an extended period of time would be catastrophic. 

There's no way the Cardinals would be able to replace Rhodes and the defense as a whole would suffer greatly. It would put more pressure on the run defense to play even better, since the threat of being thrown on would be greater.