Key Injuries Heading into Week 13 of the 2023 NFL Season

Week 12 brought with it plenty of excitement as well as drama and fans are all here for it. However, there were also quite a few new injuries here and there. At the end of the day, it is all part of the NFL season but somehow it still comes as a shock every time we see our favorite players being forced off the field with an injury. These injuries will be altering the course of events for a lot of the teams. Here is a roundup of a few notable injuries from all the games of Week 12:

•         Baker Mayfield:

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers Quarterback Baker Mayfield had to leave the game against the Indianapolis Colts halfway through the first quarter because of an ankle injury during an attempt at a quarterback sneak. The player went down on the very first drive and stayed down, holding his ankle. He was helped off the field and backup Kyle Trask replaced him. To everyone’s surprise, Mayfield did return but with a heavily taped ankle and a noticeable limp. When asked if the player would be playing in the upcoming game, head coach Todd Bowles said it was uncertain.

•         Chris Olave:

Wide receiver Chris Olave, from the New Orleans Saints, was doing quite well against the Atlanta Falcons when he had to leave with a concussion. He slammed his head on the ground in an awkward fall. He walked to the locker room and was ruled out after, making the game quite difficult to keep up with for the Saints. It doesn’t seem too good for the player since most players in concussion protocol this time around had to miss two weeks to recover completely. He will most likely sit out the game in the upcoming week.

•         Rashid Shaheed:

Another wide receiver from the New Orleans Saints, Rashid Shaheed, was also injured during the first half of the game against the Falcons. He sustained a thigh injury and tried to play through it at first but that only aggravated his injury and he was shut down around halftime. He wasn’t doing good and was downgraded to doubtful after evaluation in the locker room. The player may have avoided a major injury but may have to miss the upcoming game.

•         Demario Douglas:

The New England Patriots wide receiver, Demario Douglas, suffered a head injury during the fourth quarter of the game against the New York Giants. He endured an extremely violent, high hit from Cam Brown, while attempting to return a punt, which sent his head and neck backward. He exited the field and was quickly ruled doubtful to return. It has now been confirmed that it is not a concussion. It did, however, trigger quite a lot of outrage from the Patriots players for the hit not being penalized.

The injuries, as heartbreaking as they are, have only added to the excitement and anticipation of the fans. Being this far in the season now, it will be quite interesting to see how the teams plan on maintaining their performances.