Last reviewed Oct 25, 2026

How long do NFL injuries last?

Most soft-tissue injuries cost NFL players one to four games. Knee ligament tears, Achilles ruptures and some broken bones usually end the season. A low ankle sprain is often a week; a high ankle sprain is more like two to six. Hamstrings are the ones that come back: about one in three players hurts the same one again.

The bigger fantasy question is what a player looks like when he returns. Players coming back from injury tend to score fewer fantasy points the next season. The drop is biggest for running backs and receivers who depend on cutting and speed. Quarterbacks hold up best.

Every injury is different. These are typical ranges from studies of NFL players, not predictions for any one player. Severity, position, age, surgery and the team's timeline all change the answer. Use them to plan your roster, and trust the practice reports over any chart.

We never make calls on injured players. This page is about how injuries usually go, so you can plan around them.

At a glance

Injury	Typical time missed	After he returns	Hits hardest
Low ankle sprain	About 1 week	RBs, WRs and TEs score less the next season	Route runners, RBs
High ankle sprain	2 to 6 weeks (longer if the joint is unstable)	Often limited for a few games	RBs, WRs
Hamstring strain	1 to 2 games (mild), about 6 (severe)	1 in 3 hurt it again	WRs, DBs, LBs
Calf strain	About 2 to 3 weeks	Little data	Defense more than offense
Groin strain	3 to 4 games	Little data	All positions
MCL sprain	1 to 3 weeks (mild), 3 to 8 weeks (moderate)	Little NFL data	All positions
Turf toe	About 5 weeks; severe cases can end the season	Most return to form without surgery	Skill positions
Concussion	No set timeline; about 1 to 2 games for RBs and WRs	No measured drop after return	All positions
Broken hand	About 2 weeks (median)	Often plays in a cast	All positions
Broken collarbone	Often the season	Most return the next year	All positions
Meniscus tear	Weeks if trimmed; usually the season if repaired	Shorter careers after trims	RBs, WRs
ACL tear	9 to 13 months	About 6 in 10 RBs and WRs make it back; RBs lose the most	RBs
Achilles rupture	9 to 11 months	About 3 in 4 return; RBs decline the most	RBs

Ranges are typical NFL outcomes, not limits. Sources are listed at the bottom.

Injury by injury

Low ankle sprain

The classic rolled ankle, on the outside of the joint, usually costs under a week. Across all ankle injuries, skill players missed about three to four games on average. The catch is the next season: running backs, receivers and tight ends with ankle injuries scored fewer fantasy points per game than similar healthy players. Quarterbacks did not.

High ankle sprain

A sprain of the ligaments that tie the two shin bones together just above the ankle. It hurts most when a player plants and cuts, which is why it lingers for running backs and receivers. Team doctors in one survey expected one to four weeks when the joint stays stable and five to eight when it does not. A player who comes back early may be on a pitch count for a game or two.

Hamstring strain

A pulled muscle in the back of the thigh, usually from sprinting. By MRI grade, players missed about one game (grade 1), two games (grade 2) and six games (grade 3). The real story is re-injury: about one in three players hurt a hamstring again, and the risk was highest for players who returned within two weeks. Receivers had the highest same-season risk, so treat a receiver's first game back as risky.

Calf strain

A strained muscle in the back of the lower leg. One team's players missed about two and a half weeks on average, from a few days to two months.

Groin strain

A strained inner thigh muscle. Skill players missed three to four games on average. A full tendon tear, which is rare, costs six to twelve weeks.

MCL sprain

A sprain of the ligament on the inside of the knee. Mild sprains usually cost one to two weeks and moderate ones about three; most players with either are back within three to eight weeks. A complete tear without surgery took about nine weeks in older college data. Watch whether he is listed with a brace and limited in practice.

Turf toe

A sprain at the base of the big toe from bending it too far back. Players who returned the same season missed about five weeks on average. Severe cases treated without surgery took about two and a half months; surgery usually ends the season. Most players who avoided surgery returned to their old level.

Concussion

There is no set timeline. Every player has to pass the league's five-step return protocol and get clearance from both the team doctor and an independent neurologist. Studied running backs and receivers missed about 19 days, so one to two games, and their production did not drop when they came back.

Broken hand or finger

The median absence for a broken hand was about two weeks, and many players return in a cast or wrap. Finger fractures cost about two games on average.

Broken collarbone

Often a season-ending injury. In one study, fewer than half of players who had surgery returned the same season. Almost all played again the next year.

Meniscus tear

A tear of the cartilage cushion inside the knee, with two very different paths. Trimming the torn piece can mean weeks out. Repairing it usually means months, often the season. Studies disagree on how long the trim takes for NFL players, so wait for the team's word on which surgery he had.

ACL tear

A tear of the main stabilizing ligament in the knee. It needs surgery and ends the season; players are out nine to thirteen months. Only about six in ten NFL running backs and receivers made it back. Running backs lost the most value after returning, and quarterbacks the least.

Achilles rupture

A complete tear of the tendon from the calf to the heel. Players were out about nine to eleven months, and roughly three in four returned. Running backs declined the most after returning, and careers after the injury were shorter on average.