If you know anything about the Washington Redskins, it’s that they’ve danced a gruesome dance with the injury bug over the past several years.
Everyone knows about the Alex Smith injury, or the Robert Griffin III downfall earlier in the decade, but any fan of the Redskins knows exactly how destructive injuries have been to the team over the last 8-10 years. In 2019 alone, the Redskins placed 21 players on the injured reserve list from the start of the season onwards.
So, it’s safe to blame injuries as the main factor in all of the turmoil and loss that’s been seen in Washington, right? Not exactly. According to a report from the Associated Press, injuries across the NFL are up, and it seems like every team is dealing with more and more time spent in the training room, rather than on the field. This, of course, has resulted in millions of dollars in lost wages.
While much of the recent focus has been on protecting high-priced quarterbacks and limiting head injuries — concussions were up slightly over last year — keeping wideouts and the defenders who try to stop them healthy has occupied most of the NFL’s medical personnel. Cornerbacks and safeties were second and third on the list.
According to the study, wide receivers were the most-injured position in 2019, with 82 total players seeing their year come to an end early in 2019. Cornerbacks were not far behind with 78 players placed on the IR. The dollar figure placed on these injuries was upwards of $500 million.
When you look at the Redskins IR list at the end of the season, it fits the mold pretty well. Washington saw players like Paul Richardson Jr., Trey Quinn, Quinton Dunbar, Jimmy Moreland, Deshazor Everett, Fabian Moreau, Montae Nicholson, and Danny Johnson end up on the injured reserve. That’s not a great look, but according to this report from the AP, the Redskins weren’t alone in that fight against the injury bug.
It may be disappointing to hear that you can no longer blame the injury bug for the Redskins place at the bottom of the league, as other teams are just as familiar with its presence. However, you can at least rest easy knowing that Washington has put a new head trainer and athletic staff into place, hoping to eradicate the injury risks of football going forward.
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