NFL All-Injured Team: Defense/Special Teams

Author:
SI Staff
Publish date:
Nov 8, 2006

NFL All-Injured Team: Defense/Special Teams

Defensive End

The Eagles' freakish end is out for the season after injuring the medial collateral, lateral collateral and posterior cruciate ligaments in his left knee during overtime of a Week 2 loss to the Giants.

Defensive Tackle

A seven-year veteran who has played in 91 NFL games, Simon, mysteriously, was put on the non-football illness/injury list in early October. The Colts have said that the injury isn't related to the knee surgery he underwent in August and that it isn't life-threatening. They're hoping he'll be back next season.

Defensive End

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2000 draft has been plagued by injuries throughout his career. His latest setback -- which required microfracture surgery for his twice-operated-on left knee, could end his career.

Linebacker

On the same day that he registered his first career sack for a safety and was enjoying his finest game as a Giant, against the hated Cowboys no less, Arrington tore his left Achilles tendon. He's out for the season.

Linebacker

The second-year defender broke his neck while tackling Cleveland's Reuben Droughns in a September 17 game and is still awaiting word on whether he'll need spinal fusion surgery, which would end his career.

Linebacker

The heart of the Jaguars defense and the team's leading tackler for the past three seasons, Peterson tore a pectoral muscle in a 41-0 victory over the Jets and is sidelined for the rest of the season.

Linebacker

After suffering concussions in a preseason game against Jacksonville and in the season opener against Atlanta, Morgan heeded the advice of his doctors and decided to shut it down for the season.

Cornerback

He started all 16 games for the Browns last year and was give them depth and leadership this season, but has been sidelined with a knee injury that required surgery in July and August.

Cornerback

Baxter (below) ruptured the patella tendons in both knees when his feet got caught in the turf as he tried to twist and break up a pass intended for Denver's Javon Walker. Chicago's Wendell Davis experienced the same injury in the early `90s and didn't play in the league again until five years later, and caught only four more passes.

Safety

For the second year in a row, New England will have to survive without the popular and hard-hitting safety. Last season Harrison was out with a severe knee injury. Now he's out indefinitely with a broken shoulder blade.

Safety

In the same game in which he returned a fumble for a touchdown to help Chicago to an amazing 24-23 comeback victory over Arizona, Brown tore the ligaments in his right foot, bringing the season to an end for one of the Bears most important defenders.

Punter

The former Pro Bowler put 39.4 percent of his punts inside the 20 last year, the fifth best percentage in the league, but was lost to the Saints earlier this season with a pelvic injury.

Kicker

Coming off a season in which he made 12 of 14 field goals, but missed an important one in the Redskins playoff loss to the Seahawks, Hall was looking to make amends this season. But he missed a last-second, game-tying attempt in a 19-16 loss to the Vikings on Sept. 11, and is now out for the season with a strained quadriceps and groin.

NFL All-Injured Team: Defense/Special Teams