NFL injuries that derailed Super Bowl hopes

While the 2023 season saw injuries derail contenders and one ill-timed setback occur during a freak Super Bowl LVIII sequence, they are far from the only instances of championship chases being altered by maladies. Here are a host of other ill-timed injuries that affected Super Bowl chases.

49ers fans under 35 or so have known more playoff pain than glory, considering it has been nearly 30 years since Steve Young and Jerry Rice powered the Super Bowl XXIX-winning team. Super Bowl LVIII brought the worst punishment. While Brock Purdy accounted himself well on the biggest stage against Patrick Mahomes, the 49ers seeing Greenlaw go down in bizarre fashion took some wind out of their sails. A Pro Bowler set to spend extensive time covering Travis Kelce, Greenlaw suffering an Achilles tear while trotting onto the field in the first half doubles as one of the spookiest injuries a Super Bowl team has ever endured. 

The Bills' penchant for beating the Chiefs in the fall before losing playoff rematches continued last season, and while Kansas City lost All-Pro guard Joe Thuney during the teams' divisional-round duel, Patrick Mahomes and Co. faced a Buffalo defense missing nearly half its starters. The Bills lost their two All-Pro starters on defense (Milano, White) in October and saw their leading tackler (Bernard) go down in the wild-card round. This was on top of Von Miller's 2022 Thanksgiving injury that turned the future Hall of Famer into a shell of himself and cornerback Christian Benford being out as well. A defense littered with backups struggled to stop the Chiefs in a 27-24 loss.

This is borderline, as the Bengals showed defensive deficiencies compared to their past two versions. But Burrow's two-injury season undoubtedly took a top-shelf contender off the map. The Bengals started 1-3, with Burrow struggling after aggravating a summer calf injury, and were 5-4 when the superstar QB's wrist injury occurred (worsened?) in Baltimore. The team, however, beat the 49ers by 14 and toppled the Bills and Seahawks during a four-game run with a healthy Burrow. Cincinnati had journeyed to back-to-back AFC title games; this November injury, which comes with Tee Higgins' Ohio future uncertain, will deny the team a prime opportunity.

Seven All-Pros populated the 49ers' lineup, with the team's Christian McCaffrey trade giving Kyle Shanahan's offense a gear it lacked during his first five Bay Area seasons. Despite Jimmy Garoppolo's broken foot, The 49ers kept their mojo thanks to Purdy's stunning readiness. The 2022 Mr. Irrelevant threw at least two TD passes in each of his first seven games, piloting the 49ers to their third NFC title game in four years. Haason Reddick's sack-strip on the first drive removed the air from the 49ers' balloon, turning what was set to be a competitive matchup into an Eagles cakewalk. Purdy's 2023 form revealed what could have been for the 49ers' 2022 edition.

The Bills entered the wrong game without their top cornerback. White, who had been a quick study and Buffalo's best corner for most of his career, suffered a torn ACL in the Bills' Thanksgiving matchup in New Orleans. The Bills lost their next two games, the second of which a shootout in Tampa, to drop to 7-6. Buffalo rallied to its third straight playoff berth and smoked New England in the wild-card round. While mismanagement after taking a 36-33 lead can be blamed for the Bills' crushing loss to the Chiefs, the team may not have been in that situation -- and likely would have offered more overtime resistance -- had White been available. 

An injury suffered during a New Year's Eve practice contributed to two No. 1-seeded Packer teams falling short of Super Bowls. Bakhtiari was finishing out his third Pro Bowl season in 2020, helping Aaron Rodgers to MVP No. 3. This became a clear issue in the NFC championship game when the Buccaneers staved off a Packers rally by forcing back-to-back three-and-outs in the fourth quarter. Shaq Barrett and Jason Pierre-Paul combined for five sacks, disrupting Rodgers -- who had been a clean-pocket assassin that season -- and leading Tampa Bay to a 31-26 win. This let Tom Brady off the hook for a three-INT second half. Bakhtiari missed almost all of the 2021 season, which ended with a Packers divisional-round loss.

In what turned out to be the last ride for the Steelers' "Killer B's" attack, Pittsburgh's defense rode the Cam Heyward-T.J. Watt combination to the first of five straight sack titles. But the team suffered a terrifying blow during a Week 13 Monday night in 2017. Shazier's spinal cord injury nearly left him paralyzed, ending the Pro Bowl linebacker's career. These Steelers were on track for home-field advantage in the AFC before the Jesse James call/snafu provided the Patriots with such real estate. But Pittsburgh gave up 38- and 45-point outings after losing Shazier. They missed their emerging standout dearly in the 45-42 Round 2 loss to the Jaguars.

Taking the White-Bills example to another level, the Falcons would have been in much better position to avoid the catastrophe that awaited them had Trufant not gone down. A Pro Bowler in 2015, Trufant had emerged as Atlanta's No. 1 cover man. But he suffered a torn pec in Week 10. Atlanta's Kyle Shanahan-directed offense ranks eighth in the Super Bowl era with 33.8 points per game. But Trufant's injury caught up with the Falcons in Super Bowl LI, the site of the most stinging defeat in NFL history. Tom Brady picked apart a reeling defense, 2016's 27th-ranked unit, to lead the Patriots' 25-point comeback. This probably plays out differently with Trufant.

Based on Dalton's career, this looks farfetched. But the Bengals were 10-2 in games Dalton finished in 2015 when they assembled the best of the Marvin Lewis-era teams. Cincinnati lost by seven combined points with Dalton -- to 13- and 12-win teams -- and its fifth-year passer sported a 25-7 TD-INT ratio when a fractured thumb ended his season in Week 14. Both the Broncos and Patriots were also 10-2, and while history suggests those teams would have beaten the Bengals in January, this was Cincy's best shot in the Marvin Lewis years. The team went 2-3 in games A.J. McCarron finished, culminating with an era-ending implosion against the Steelers in the wild-card round.

The Seahawks displayed their defensive might in Super Bowl XLVIII and rode the famed consolidation to a repeat NFC championship. By Super Bowl XLIX, the Legion of Boom-fronted crew was falling apart. Richard Sherman faced the Patriots with torn elbow ligaments, Earl Thomas played on a torn shoulder labrum, and Kam Chancellor a torn MCL. In Super Bowl XLIX, Lane intercepted Brady but suffered a broken arm and an ACL tear on the play. Avril, a standout edge rusher, left the game with a concussion. While this game is best remembered for the Seahawks' ill-fated goal-line play call, their defensive dam had broken. The Pats erased a 10-point fourth-quarter lead.

The 49ers finished their early-2010s last stand without one of their two All-Pro linebackers. Bowman, who joined Patrick Willis to form one of the NFL's great inside linebacking duos, earned All-Pro acclaim for a third straight year. The do-everything 'backer tore just about every ligament in his knee with 9 minutes left in the NFC title game. The Seahawks led 20-17 at that point but drove down for a crucial field goal on their ensuing drive. Given how the game ended -- Colin Kaepernick's pass landing in Malcolm Smith's arms -- the 49ers only needing a field goal there represents a key difference. Seattle won Super Bowl XLVIII by 35 points. By the time Bowman returned in 2015, the 49ers' window had closed.

Gronkowski became one of his era's defining players and one of its most injury-prone. The superstar tight end began down this road in the early 2010s, when the league's most dominant pass catcher suffered three late-season injuries. Gronk sustained a high ankle sprain in the 2011 AFC championship game, severely limiting the All-Pro in Super Bowl XLVI. Gronk then fractured his forearm in 2012 and aggravated it in that year's AFC title game -- a loss to the Ravens. The Pats were down 26-3 in the 2013 AFC decider in Denver, but Gronk had been out for weeks with an ACL tear. The Pats did not win any titles during this period, but had Gronk been 100%, they might have collected one.

With Amani Toomer in his 13th season and the tight end position not offering Jeremy Shockey-like production, the Giants needed Burress. They were 10-1 when their No. 1 wideout accidentally shot himself at a Manhattan nightclub. Burress was battling a hamstring injury and missed Week 12, but instead of a short absence, he never played for the Giants again. The defending champions were arguably better than their 2007 edition, beating all four of that year's conference finalists. After the shooting, the No. 1-seeded team lost four of six -- including a 23-11 divisional playoff against the Eagles. Burress served nearly two years in prison.

Coming off their 18-1 season, the Patriots saw their AFC title defense endure a savage blow minutes after it started. Bernard Pollard's low hit on Brady in a Chiefs-Patriots matchup led to the all-time great suffering an ACL tear and the NFL changing the rules about going low on QBs. The nucleus from the 2007 juggernaut remained and still played well, becoming only the second 11-5 team to miss the playoffs. But New England missed its triggerman. The Pats also lost Rodney Harrison that October. While this season led to a Matt Cassel payday, it opened the door to the Dolphins winning their most recent AFC East crown. The Pats won the next 11.

That 2007 Patriots team peaked during the regular season, and after an upset win over the Colts, the Chargers were competitive in the AFC championship game. The Bolts went 11-5 and upended a 13-3 Colts team, but Rivers suffered a torn ACL and meniscus in the Round 2 win. Although Rivers' statuesque style allowed him to give it a go against the Patriots, he obviously was not in good form. He threw two interceptions on a day in which the Chargers kicked four field goals in a 21-12 loss. That game also involved a compromised Tomlinson, who took a seat due to the effects of an MCL sprain. This marked the only AFC title game appearance of Rivers' career.

When Kurt Warner hit Isaac Bruce for the Rams' 73-yard game-winner in Super Bowl XXXIV, two Titans backup safeties were on the field. Marcus Robertson and Blaine Bishop, entrenched starters since the franchise's Houston days, respectively went down during the AFC championship game and Super Bowl. A former All-Pro, Robertson suffered a broken left leg in the Titans' win over the Jaguars. A four-time Pro Bowler, Bishop sustained a sprained neck while attempting to tackle Rams tight end Ernie Conwell in the third quarter. The Titans rallied back from a 16-0 deficit, but their middling defense allowed Warner to set a then-Super Bowl record with 414 passing yards in a game that came down to the final play.

The Jaguars entered Week 17 at 13-2 but needed to keep their foot on the gas not only to clinch home-field advantage but to merely win the AFC Central. The Titans, who had swept them, were 12-3. As Jacksonville defeated Cincinnati to sew up the No. 1 seed, it lost its best player. Boselli, who had earned first-team All-Pro acclaim for a third straight season, suffered a torn ACL in the game. The Titans had the Jags' number that year, and the teams' second and third meetings -- 41-14 and 33-14 Tennessee wins -- lend toward the same AFC champion emerging. But the best team in Jags' history losing an elite blocker undoubtedly hurt. 

John Elway's retirement created an opening in the AFC. One of the favorites to fill it entering the season exited the equation in Week 1. In a development eerily similar to Aaron Rodgers' 2023 injury, Testaverde suffered an Achilles tear in the Jets' '99 opener. Testaverde, a post-June 1 Ravens cut in 1998, had set a Jets single-season record with 29 touchdown passes while leading the team to the AFC championship game that year. Turning to Ray Lucas and Rick Mirer, the Jets finished 8-8 in 1999. Testaverde's season ended an era. Bill Parcells left at season's end, and DC Bill Belichick maneuvered his way to New England to wrap a messy saga. 

One of the great near-misses in NFL history came as the Falcons tripped up the Vikings, interfering with an intergalactic Denver-Minnesota Super Bowl XXXIII matchup. While the Falcons were 14-2 and a great team in their own right, the Vikings ran into health issues during their NFC championship game letdown. Minnesota lost McDaniel, a Pro Bowl linebacker who dropped a 128-tackle/seven-sack season, to a torn ACL in the first quarter. The Vikes also saw starting guard David Dixon suffer a first-stanza ACL tear. The team still would have booked a Super Bowl berth had Gary Anderson made a 38-yard field goal in the fourth quarter, but the injuries increased the 15-1 team's degree of difficulty.

Football will probably never see a stretch like Rice's from 1986-96 again. The wide receiver representative in the "greatest player ever" debate was a first-team All-Pro 10 times during that span, but the run ended when he suffered a partially torn ACL. Warren Sapp stopped a Rice reverse in the backfield during Week 1 of the '97 slate. What made this knee tear unique: Rice's miraculous rehab effort allowed for a return in time for a Week 16 Monday-nighter against the Broncos. In his return, Rice scored a touchdown. But he suffered a broken kneecap on the play and was done after a two-game season. The 49ers earned the NFC's top seed but lost a 23-10 NFC title game matchup against the Packers.

The Chiefs made one AFC championship game between their Super Bowl IV championship and Patrick Mahomes' debut as the team's starter. It came in 1993, when the team traded for Montana and signed Marcus Allen. The two Hall of Fame-bound legends joined a talented defense to drive Marty Schottenheimer's team past the Steelers and Oilers in the playoffs. The Chiefs did not start well in Buffalo, falling behind 20-6. Fullback Kimble Anders dropped a touchdown pass in the first half. The curtain closed after three Bills D-linemen, including Bruce Smith, crushed Montana after a third-quarter pass. The ensuing concussion ended the QB icon's penultimate season; the Bills prevailed, 30-13.

Seventeen years before Brady's injury, Cunningham encountered a similar setback. Packers linebacker Bryce Paup came in low just after a Cunningham pass, and the star Eagles quarterback suffered an ACL tear. Cunningham had finished second for MVP honors in 1990 -- a dazzling season in which the scrambler totaled nearly 4,500 yards and 35 TDs -- and was about to play with one of the best defenses in modern NFL history. Philly led the NFL with 55 sacks, and QBs completed 44.1% of their passes on a defense -- the best figure since 1978 -- that produced three All-Pro linemen. The Eagles started four QBs that year and still went 10-6. 

Mustering the closest threepeat bid in the Super Bowl era, the 49ers rode Montana to the NFC's No. 1 seed. The legendary QB had won back-to-back MVPs, doing so in the two years after Bill Walsh retired, and drove San Francisco to consecutive 14-2 seasons. The two-time reigning champions led the Giants 13-9 with 9:42 left when Giants defensive end Leonard Marshall blasted Montana with a blindside blow. The 49ers recovered the fumble but lost, 15-13, to their playoff nemeses. Montana, whom the Giants also knocked out of a 1986 playoff game, suffered cracked ribs, a broken hand, and a bruised sternum on the play. An elbow injury in the 1991 preseason eventually led him out of San Francisco.

One of the most-watched injuries in NFL history took the Bengals' top defender out of Super Bowl XXIII. The All-Pro defensive tackle broke his leg in three places during the first quarter, dealing another late-season blow to an AFC champion that had already lost its right tackle -- Joe Walter -- to a season-ending ACL tear in its regular-season finale. While the 49ers finished the 1980s with a mythical aura, this edition was just 10-6 with a plus-75 point differential. DVOA slots the 12-4 Bengals first that year, but they could not stop a 92-yard Montana game-winning drive. While Krumrie returned in Week 1 of the '89 season, the Bengals just missed their chance.

On the heels of their consecutive losses in "The" AFC championship games, the 1988 Browns still fielded one of the NFL's best teams. Two Kosar injuries altered this Cleveland iteration's path.. Kosar suffered a sprained elbow in Week 1, knocking him out for the next six games. Upon his return, the Browns won four of their next six -- including a victory over the eventual AFC champion Bengals -- but the northeast Ohio native went down with a knee sprain in Week 15. The Browns went 6-2 in the games Kosar finished and also lost backups Gary Danielsen and Mike Pagel at points. The 10-6 team lost the AFC wild-card game to Houston without Kosar, cementing a "what if?" season.

The Bears regularly dealt with McMahon unavailability; it is the chief reason a celebrated nucleus went to just one Super Bowl. In '86, Chicago's menacing defense outproduced its famed '85 unit statistically, and the team was 5-0 in McMahon starts going into a Nov. 23 Packers matchup. McMahon had missed time because of a shoulder injury, but after Packers defensive lineman Charles Martin inexplicably drove him into the turf on one of the NFL's dirtiest plays, the brash QB was lost for the season. The Bears eventually tried an unready Doug Flutie for the stretch run, losing to Washington in the playoffs. McMahon's injury likely denied a historic clash with the 14-2 Giants.

Although Jim Brown played in four postseason games, the top two rushing performances in Browns playoff history belong to Byner. He closed 1985 with a 161-yard performance against the Dolphins. Two years later, he amassed 187 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns. While the Denver day did not end well for Byner, he was a difference-making talent. Byner underwent ankle surgery in October 1986, and while he returned for the AFC title game -- better remembered for "The Drive" -- he was far from 100% and touched the ball once. The Browns may have endured the same fate as the Broncos, considering the Giants squad that awaited in Super Bowl XXI, but a healthy Byner sure racked up yards in the playoffs.

In the final week of the regular season, Clark went down with a knee injury that knocked him out for the playoffs. Clark was one of the bright spots for a 3-6 49ers team in 1982, earning All-Pro honors, and he was the '83 San Francisco squad's leading receiver by a considerable margin. The 49ers forged ahead without their top skill player, narrowly surviving a Lions team that committed five turnovers. The team missed Clark in the 1983 NFC championship game. Two controversial calls powered Washington past San Francisco in a 24-21 thriller, but the 49ers, with Clark may well have met up with the Raiders in an all-California Super Bowl.

The Vikings' 1970s Super Bowls came against three of the NFL's greatest teams -- the 1973 Dolphins, 1974 Steelers, and 1976 Raiders. Minnesota's NFC title defense encountered a high hurdle nine games into the last 14-game season. Tarkenton completed 17 straight passes against the Bengals but broke his leg in the game; the then-all-time leading passer missed the rest of the season. The Vikings were in decline by this point, but they ousted the Rams in a muddy divisional playoff. A Bob Lee-quarterbacked squad had nothing for the Cowboys the next week. Rather than a battle-tested Steelers or Raiders squad, the Broncos awaited in Super Bowl XII. Dallas feasted on a team that committed eight turnovers.

The second NFL duo to drop a 1,000-1,000 season, Harris and Bleier provided the dual engines for a Steelers offense that played second fiddle to the greatest defensive run of the Super Bowl era. Leading a rally back from a 1-4 start, Pittsburgh's defense pitched five shutouts and allowed a preposterous two TDs in its final nine regular-season games. In a 40-14 playoff-opening win over the Colts, Harris sustained a rib injury, and Bleier hurt a toe that had been wounded during his Vietnam tour. Without them, the Steelers lost 24-7 to a Raiders team they had eliminated in three of the previous four seasons. The Raiders finished 16-1 that year, including a Week 1 win over the Steelers, and ended their rival's threepeat bid.

The Dolphins pushed their threepeat attempt to the divisional round. Some notable developments affected Miami's vaunted ground attack that year. Larry Csonka and Jim Kiick signed with the World Football League, committing to leaving after the season, and Morris suffered a knee injury during the preseason. Csonka and Morris became the NFL's first 1,000-1,000 duo in 1972 and dominated again in '73, but after Morris aggravated his injury near midseason, his prime effectively ended. The Raiders edged the Dolphins in the "Sea of Hands" thriller -- a 28-26 win -- and Csonka and Paul Warfield's 1975 exits accelerated this dynasty's conclusion.