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The NFL won't be at 100% participation for Week 1 of the 2022 season. To be fair, it never is at the start of any campaign given American football's brutal nature.
Injuries frequently occur in the pre-season, making many openly question why there is one at all. Recent rule changes at least eliminated OT during the exhibition slate. But many feel that not enough has been done to limit the amount of roster damage the pre-season can do.
Injuries also occur during the season, sometimes spilling into the following season. 2021 was no different than any other year. Going into 2022 NFL, there are three key players who are certain to miss the start of the season with an injury. Let's look at them.
#1 - WR Sterling Shepard, New York Giants
After Sterling Shepard went down for the season with a torn Achilles, the New York Giants went 0-3 down the stretch of a lost 2021 season. We say lost because any year that Jake Fromm is getting a start under center to replace Mike Glennon cannot possibly be considered anything but.
Shepard has long been a reliable pass-catcher for Big Blue, hauling a minimum of 59 targets before 2021, where he only played seven games in an injury-plagued season.
Saquon Barkley spoke highly of the six-year NFL veteran in the immediate aftermath of his season-ending injury this past December.
"It's definitely tough. He just sparks this team. He's a leader of this team. Just the energy he brings every single day, on the field, off the field. So anytime you see a guy go down, it's just a sad thing. But one thing I know about Shep, he's a fighter. It's a setback, but I know he's going to attack this rehab. ... Just a little setback, and the comeback is going to be something special."
While Shepard has been optimistic about his return during the 2022 NFL season, it's likely he will start it on the shelf.
#2 - LB Tyus Bowser, Baltimore Ravens
Six-year linebacker vet Tyus Bowser also suffered a torn Achilles this past NFL season, though his injury happened in January, against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the (first ever) Week 18 season finale.
Don't count Ravens head coach John Harbaugh as someone who feels Bowser should be on this list, or any other list like it. Harbaugh was overwhelmingly confident when speaking to reporters at a season-ending presser about the possibility Bowser could be back in time for Week 1 of the 2022 NFL season.
“Yes, he did tear his Achilles. He had surgery. By all accounts, it went great. They always say that. Have you ever had a surgery that you came out and you woke up and the guy goes, ‘It didn’t go well?’ I guess if you woke up, it went well...But I do think it went well, and I do know Tyus [Bowser]. Tyus is going to work. So, I’m pretty excited. I think Tyus will be back for the start of the season. I think Tyus will be back for training camp; that’s my prediction. That’s my timeline, so I’m going to stick with that.”
Perhaps we're wrongfully bearish about the idea of a 6'3", 242-pounder being able to return in less than eight months from a torn Achilles, playing one of professional sports' most grueling positions.
#3 - WR Michael Gallup, Dallas Cowboys
Michael Gallup's injury is the first on the list that is not of the Achilles tear variety. But his health situation isn't exactly that much better. The Cowboys WR tore his ACL against the Arizona Cardinals back on January 2nd.
Granted that Gallup did tear it on a touchdown catch, yet no play is a good play if an ACL tear is the result. But going out on a touchdown before an unforced sabbatical certainly possibly lessens the sting of the moment.
An ACL tear isn't quite as tricky as an Achilles tear, so Gallup has hope that the injury won't keep him sidelined long enough to miss the Cowboys' 2022 NFL season opener.
Gallup told reporters on a conference call that Week 1 of the 2022 NFL season is his goal for a return date.
"I'll be working my butt off as soon as possible…Just believing in the training staff because they've helped so many guys that have had an injury like mine."
Whether or not he reaches that goal is a different story entirely. One would think Dak Prescott is hoping his No. 2 target could return to the field. Otherwise, CeeDee Lamb is going to have to work extra hard getting open with increased attention from opposing secondaries.
