METHODOLOGY

Using the offical NFL injury report from each week, Los Angeles Times sports researcher Houston Mitchell tracked every player who suffered an injury during the 1997, ’98 and ’99 seasons. Those players who were sidelined for a game or more because of injury were logged, as were the number of games they were sidelined and the types of injuries. Players who were injured in the previous season or in the exhibition season and missed games the next season (such as Garrison Hearst in 1999) were not counted.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

NFL Injuries, 1997-99

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Games Year Injuries missed 1997 335 937 1998 398 1,340 1999 364 1,061

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BY TEAM, 1997-99

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Col 1: 1997 Col 2: 1998 Col 3: 1999 Col 4: 3-Year Totals *

Col 1: *Seattle 20 Col 2: *Indianapolis 23 Col 3: *Detroit 22 Col 4: *Detroit 54 *

Col 1: *New York Giants 18 Col 2: Jacksonville 22 Col 3: *New York Giants 18 Col 4: *New York Giants 52 *

Col 1: Washington 18 Col 2: Carolina 21 Col 3: *Atlanta 17 Col 4: *Seattle 47 *

Col 1: Chicago 17 Col 2: Washington 19 Col 3: *Dallas 16 Col 4: *Indianapolis 45 *

Col 1: San Diego 15 Col 2: *Detroit 18 Col 3: San Francisco 16 Col 4: *Philadelphia 44 *

Col 1: San Francisco 15 Col 2: *Cincinnati 17 Col 3: *New Orleans 15 Col 4: Jacksonville 43 *

Col 1: Miami 14 Col 2: Green Bay 17 Col 3: *Philadelphia 15 Col 4: San Francisco 43 *

Col 1: *Philadelphia 14 Col 2: *New Orleans 16 Col 3: Denver 15 Col 4: Washington 42 *

Col 1: *Detroit 14 Col 2: *New York Giants 16 Col 3: Arizona 15 Col 4: Carolina 41 *

Col 1: Green Bay 13 Col 2: *St. Louis 16 Col 3: San Diego 14 Col 4: *New Orleans 41 *

Col 1: *Pittsburgh 13 Col 2: *Dallas 15 Col 3: *Seattle 14 Col 4: *Cincinnati 40 *

Col 1: Baltimore 12 Col 2: *Philadelphia 15 Col 3: Jacksonville 14 Col 4: Arizona 39 *

Col 1: *Buffalo 12 Col 2: *Pittsburgh 14 Col 3: Cleveland 13 Col 4: *Pittsburgh 39 *

Col 1: Carolina 12 Col 2: Arizona 13 Col 3: *New York Jets 13 Col 4: San Diego 39 *

Col 1: *St. Louis 12 Col 2: *Seattle 13 Col 3: *Cincinnati 13 Col 4: *Dallas 38 *

Col 1: Arizona 11 Col 2: *Buffalo 12 Col 3: *Pittsburgh 12 Col 4: Green Bay 38 *

Col 1: *Indianapolis 11 Col 2: New England 12 Col 3: Miami 12 Col 4: Miami 37 *

Col 1: *Cincinnati 10 Col 2: San Francisco 12 Col 3: *Buffalo 11 Col 4: *Buffalo 35 *

Col 1: *New Orleans 10 Col 2: Kansas City 11 Col 3: *Indianapolis 11 Col 4: *Atlanta 34 *

Col 1: *Minnesota 9 Col 2: Miami 11 Col 3: Tampa Bay 11 Col 4: *St. Louis 34 *

Col 1: Oakland 9 Col 2: Oakland 10 Col 3: New England 10 Col 4: Chicago 32 *

Col 1: *Atlanta 8 Col 2: San Diego 10 Col 3: *Minnesota 9 Col 4: Baltimore 29 *

Col 1: *Dallas 7 Col 2: *Atlanta 9 Col 3: Oakland 8 Col 4: Denver 29 *

Col 1: Jacksonville 7 Col 2: Baltimore 9 Col 3: Baltimore 8 Col 4: New England 27 *

Col 1: *New York Jets 7 Col 2: Tampa Bay 9 Col 3: Carolina 8 Col 4: Oakland 27 *

Col 1: Tampa Bay 7 Col 2: Chicago 8 Col 3: Green Bay 8 Col 4: Tampa Bay 27 *

Col 1: Denver 6 Col 2: Denver 8 Col 3: Chicago 7 Col 4: *Minnesota 26 *

Col 1: Kansas City 5 Col 2: *Minnesota 8 Col 3: *St. Louis 6 Col 4: *New York Jets 26 *

Col 1: New England 5 Col 2: *Tennessee 8 Col 3: Tennessee 5 Col 4: Kansas City 19 *

Col 1: Tennessee 4 Col 2: *New York Jets 6 Col 3: Washington 5 Col 4: Tennessee 17 *

Col 1: Col 2: Col 3: Kansas City 3 Col 4: **Cleveland 13 *

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* home field is artificial turf. ** one season

BY TYPE

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Injury ’97 ’98 ’99 Knee 104 131 122 Ankle 50 54 52 Hamstring 29 35 30 Shoulder 22 35 31 Leg 14 7 7 Groin 12 14 10 Back 12 23 9 Neck 11 13 14 Hand 12 9 2 Foot 8 23 19 Elbow 7 4 5 Hip 6 2 4 Ribs 6 4 4 Thumb 5 4 4 Concussion 5 5 11 Toe 5 3 6 Arm 5 5 4 Calf 4 10 7 Head 3 2 1 Thigh 3 1 0 Wrist 3 3 0 Achilles’ 3 3 5 Eye 3 2 0 Quadriceps 3 2 7 Jaw 2 2 1 Abdomen 2 6 1 Buttocks 1 0 0 Nose 1 0 0 Hepatitis 1 0 0 Heel 1 0 0 Hernia 1 0 1 Ear 1 0 0 Triceps 1 2 1 Pelvis 1 0 0 Asthma 1 0 0 Finger 1 4 1 Chest 0 5 2 Biceps 0 4 1 Shin 0 1 0 Kidney 0 1 0 Flu 0 1 0 Viral infection 0 1 0 Appendectomy 0 1 1 Liver 0 0 1 Blood clot 0 0 1 Abrasions 0 0 1 Throat 0 0 1 Face laceration 0 0 1

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BY FIELD

A look at where major injuries occurred in 1999, on an artificial turf field or grass field. If the injury happened during a game played on turf, or in practice the week that followed, it was considered a turf injury. Same with grass fields.

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Injury Total Turf Grass Knee 122 79 43 Ankle 52 36 16 Hamstring 30 17 13 Shoulder 22 14 8 Foot 19 11 8 Neck 14 7 7 Concussion 11 7 4 Groin 10 5 5 Back 9 4 5 Leg 7 3 4 Calf 7 2 5 Quadriceps 7 4 3 Toe 6 5 1 Achilles’ 5 3 2 Elbow 5 2 3

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BY POSITION

Injuries/with total games missed

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Position 1997 ’98 ’99 Running back 31/88 50/175 43/140 Linebacker 58/132 58/210 40/129 Wide receiver 45/136 43/127 41/115 Defensive end 23/88 36/93 29/101 Quarterback 16/47 20/101 22/95 Guard 23/64 31/119 26/88 Cornerback 32/97 38/125 45/112 Safety 23/61 38/112 32/80 Tackle 20/53 19/64 24/56 Tight end 22/53 19/50 28/66

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Defensive

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Position 1997 ’98 ’99 tackle 18/32 29/116 23/48 Center 15/58 14/30 8/18 Kicker 5/26 1/4 2/11 Punter 4/6 2/14 1/2

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