Injury outlook for 2025: Players to monitor

Every year we're tasked with looking back at the injuries that most profoundly impacted our beloved fantasy football players, then looking ahead to see what we might expect in the upcoming season. Those injuries can often be grouped in clusters with the most common accounting for similar absences and return-to-play projections.

Not this year.

While soft tissue injuries continue to present the biggest injury burden, most notably ACL tears and hamstring strains, this year it is the difference in the individual presentations of those injuries that stands out. Running back Christian McCaffrey and his Achilles woes were the most unusual among them after his 2024 season could be considered a total loss. Never were the expectations higher for him, never was the production lower. The worst part may have been the uncertainty that hovered over his status until his season ended in Week 13.

For CMC and others whose season either ended with injury or was significantly impacted by injury, it is now time to look ahead to 2025.

Christian McCaffrey, RB, 49ers

McCaffrey is perhaps the most challenging player to preview for this season when it comes to injury outlook. The nature of the injuries he had last season, the cloak of secrecy around his health status and recovery process, and his unicorn-like ability to change a game when healthy combine to allow fantasy players to be equal parts terrified and ecstatic about what he will -- or won't -- deliver in 2025. The 29-year-old is entering the territory of expected dropoff in performance due to age, and his past work volume when healthy suggests he's accumulated more mileage than most. But one look at his demanding training program and fitness regimen coupled with his focus and work ethic would suggest he could outperform many of his younger counterparts.

Here's what we know:

1. Last year, McCaffrey was diagnosed with Achilles tendinitis early in training camp (later reported to be bilateral) and was held out of preseason work for rehab purposes. When Week 1 arrived, he was a surprise scratch and went on to miss eight games. He returned Nov. 10 against the Buccaneers, but was clearly still getting up to speed. Week 13 was the first game in which vintage McCaffrey appeared on the field, finally moving like the pre-injury version of himself. Unfortunately, in that slip-sliding snow globe of a game, McCaffrey landed hard on the front of his right shin, spraining his PCL and ending his season.

2. This year, McCaffrey reported to spring OTAs with zero activity restrictions, after telling reporters in January he was "definitely close" to 100% health.

3. His first three years in the league, he didn't miss a game with the Carolina Panthers. He didn't even miss a practice. It wasn't until Week 2 of his fourth season (2020) that McCaffrey suffered his first injury, a high ankle sprain. It would be the first of three injuries that season and McCaffrey played in just three games.

4. After a second straight injury-plagued season in 2021, people began to write McCaffrey off as suddenly injury-prone. But he rebounded in 2022, playing in all 20 games (including three in the postseason with his new team in San Francisco) and finishing with 1,880 yards from scrimmage. In 2023, his first full season with the 49ers, a 27-year-old McCaffrey posted career highs in rushing yards (1,459) and yards per carry (5.4).

5. McCaffrey has now played eight NFL seasons. Three of those seasons (2020, 2021, 2024) have seen him play seven or fewer games. Each of the other five seasons, he has played either 16 or 17 games at elite levels.

The conundrum is evident. A healthy year means virtually 100% availability for CMC, but an injury year drops it to less than 50%. When McCaffrey is healthy enough to play, he is heavily involved in the game plan. There appears to be no holding back on his utilization, regardless of prior injury. The 49ers moved on from Jordan Mason and Elijah Mitchell this offseason, leaving 2024 fourth-round pick Isaac Guerendo as the primary backup to McCaffrey.

There is no denying that McCaffrey's injury history has to be taken into consideration, especially the recent Achilles tendinitis, which is more reflective of a wear-and-tear effect than his contact PCL injury, for instance. But his resilience throughout his career and his restriction-free activity level as early as the spring signals no major concerns on the part of the player or the organization. From a utilization standpoint, it certainly appears both the 49ers and McCaffrey plan to pick up where they left off. The workload opportunity will be there for McCaffrey all season. Now the question is, will he be there to absorb it?

Everyone else

Quarterbacks

Dak Prescott, Cowboys

Prescott tore his right hamstring off the bone at its high attachment point on the pelvis, ending his 2024 season in Week 9. After undergoing surgery to reattach and reinforce the hamstring and giving the repair adequate healing time, Prescott began aggressively working to get his hip strength and mobility back. By April, he declared himself ready to play, an indication he'll be fully participating in training camp.

Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars

Late last season there seemed to be a question as to whether Lawrence would require surgery on his damaged left (non-throwing) AC joint. After a big hit in Week 13 set him back (while also resulting in a concussion), Lawrence did undergo surgery in December. Although his activity remained limited in the spring, the expectation is for Lawrence to be cleared for training camp. He will no doubt be eager to resume throwing to last year's rookie standout Brian Thomas Jr. and his new counterpart -- this year's rookie standout perhaps? -- Travis Hunter.

Wide receivers

Chris Godwin, Buccaneers

Godwin was on pace for career highs in 2024, thriving in a high-volume offense while lined up frequently in the slot. And then, just like that, his season ended with a nasty ankle fracture/dislocation that took the collective breath away from everyone who witnessed it. After all, Godwin already had to fight his way back from an ACL/MCL injury three years prior and had just reached his pre-injury performance levels in 2023. Now he was exceeding even those metrics, only to see the season slip away. After surgery, it seemed as if Godwin was on track with his recovery, especially when the Bucs re-signed him to a three-year extension in the offseason. But the first-round draft selection of wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, who played the majority of his snaps out of the slot at Ohio State, hinted at a change in the team's confidence in Godwin's status. There is at least the specter of uncertainty heading into training camp and even an eventual return would come with lowered expectations, given the severity of the injury.

Stefon Diggs, Patriots

A late October ACL tear does not necessarily set an athlete up for an on-time return the following season, but Diggs is reportedly heading that direction. He tore his right ACL on Oct. 27 (while with the Texans) in classic non-contact fashion, but by March he was running full speed and working on deceleration and directional changes. As Diggs has pointed out, he had six consecutive 1,000-yard seasons prior to this injury, something he believed would help him get noticed by other teams. Well, the Patriots noticed and they signed him to a three-year deal while he was still recovering, signaling their confidence in his return. It remains rare for an athlete to post pre-injury numbers in the first year back from ACL reconstruction, but Diggs could benefit from the volume of targets he's likely to see in New England.

Rashee Rice, Chiefs

Rice suffered a knee ligament injury in Week 4, but it was not the one everyone presumed it to be. He tore the lateral collateral ligament (LCL), the ligament reinforcing the outer aspect of the knee joint. It is less commonly torn than its medial counterpart (MCL), but if the force vectors bow the knee outward or toward the back corner, the stress can be enough to disrupt it. In Rice's case, the lateral hamstring tendon also required repair, but he was fortunate to have no other reported damage inside the actual knee joint, including the ACL. In late April, quarterback Patrick Mahomes complimented Rice's progress, noting he was already running routes and catching footballs, and coach Andy Reid confirmed Rice as "on track to be ready" for camp. It's fair to say the timing of his injury early in the season works in his favor when it comes to matching pre-injury performance sooner rather than later.

Brandon Aiyuk, 49ers

Aiyuk tore his right ACL and MCL last October, but surgery was delayed until November, as is often the case. This spring, the 49ers reported positive reviews from Aiyuk's surgeon about his progress, but there is no official return date in place. While the team has indicated the season opener is a possibility, there are numerous benchmarks to clear beforehand and the 49ers are not going to rush him back. Aiyuk's status will likely still be a question mark coming into training camp and how he progresses with football activity will be worth closely monitoring. Don't be surprised if he is eased back into the fold after the season has begun.

Tyreek Hill, Dolphins

Hill told ESPN's Lisa Salters before the Dolphins' Monday night matchup with the Rams in Week 10 that he had torn a ligament in his wrist and the effects were lingering. Hill was frequently listed on the injury report throughout the 2024 season due to his wrist, yet he played in all 17 games. Not every game was memorable, as Hill frequently struggled to make an impact. Sometimes the wrist appeared to be a factor, but other times the absence of his quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, appeared to be the bigger culprit. While the presence of Tagovailoa (who is now healthy and expected to start the season on time) cannot be guaranteed, the wrist should no longer be an issue after Hill underwent surgery to repair the injured ligament in the offseason. Coach Mike McDaniel told reporters at the NFL combine that passing drills were off limits until the summer, but Hill has been working at the facility and is expected to be cleared for camp.

Christian Watson, Packers

Watson tore his right ACL in Week 18, a devastating injury in its own right made worse by the timing so late in the season. With only seven months between injury and the start of camp, it appears likely Watson's return will be sometime after the season is underway. After all, this is an athlete who was plagued by repeated hamstring injuries early in his career, to the point he sought expert advice from researchers at the University of Wisconsin, who were studying this exact topic. In 2024, he appeared to be doing well in that regard with no missed time due to hamstring issues. Now, as he recovers from his ACL, it will be critical for him to maintain the focus on his hamstring work as a part of his overall rehabilitation plan. In fact, the work he has already done in that area is likely to help him return more effectively from his ACL reconstruction.

Tank Dell, Texans

A gruesome multi-ligament knee injury for Dell in December 2024 required a staged repair process. His first surgery took place in mid-January to address the MCL and LCL, then in March he underwent reconstruction of his ACL. Multiligament knee injuries are notoriously more difficult to rehabilitate given the structures involved, the complexity of the surgical repair and the time it takes the athlete to regain confidence in the knee. The Texans' acquisition of Christian Kirk and selection of two wide receivers in the early rounds of the 2025 NFL draft reflect the team's plans to augment the wide receiver room after losing Stefon Diggs to free agency and Dell to injury. Although Dell is reportedly making steady progress, as head coach DeMeco Ryans emphasized, there is no timeline for his return. Rather the team needs him back "when he is ready to be Tank." It is unclear whether that will even be this season.

Quick hits

Chris Olave, WR, Saints

Olave suffered two concussions last season. The second, which occurred just three weeks after the first, saw him leave the field on a stretcher to be transported to a local hospital. The sequence of events led to Olave consulting with multiple specialists, but he did return to practice the final two weeks of the season. The Saints elected not to activate him for game play, however, giving him more recovery space heading into this season. After four concussions in three NFL seasons, his injury history is unavoidably a part of the conversation.

CeeDee Lamb, WR, Cowboys

The Cowboys' season faded away quietly, so many may have forgotten that Lamb was playing through a sprained AC joint suffered in Week 9, the same week his quarterback tore his hamstring. Lamb would end up returning the following week, but the shoulder remained intermittently problematic. The Cowboys elected to shut him down after Week 16 and the offseason afforded him time to recover. He should have no limitations coming into 2025.

Mike Evans, WR, Buccaneers

Evans was a case study in what can happen when you try to play through a hamstring injury. The week following his initial right hamstring strain, Evans aggravated it and was then sidelined for four weeks (three games plus a bye). The good news is that he returned strong and was able to finish out another 1,000-yard season. The 31-year-old receiver remains one of the most consistent players in the game, rarely missing time and notching over 1,000 yards for 11 straight seasons, but ... was the hamstring issue an early sign of things to come?

Evan Engram, TE, Broncos

After two years of perfect attendance, Engram missed roughly half the 2024 season with hamstring and shoulder injuries. In December, he underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder, but it wasn't enough to deter the Broncos from signing him in March. He should be ready to begin the season on time.

Isiah Pacheco, RB, Chiefs

Pacheco suffered a fibula fracture in Week 2 and it appeared his season could be over. But to his credit, he worked his way back to a return in Week 13, even assuming lead-back duties at times. Still, he didn't appear to have the same explosiveness as pre-injury, not at all surprising, since it often takes a year to return to performance. Pacheco should be in good shape entering the 2025 season, even better for having shaken the rust off in his return last year.

Hollywood Brown, WR, Chiefs

A sternoclavicular (SC) injury in the preseason ultimately required surgery and caused Brown to miss the bulk of the season. He returned in Week 16 and participated in the Chiefs' postseason, but his role was diminished. More importantly, this is an injury that should not pose any problems of recurrence (especially after the surgical fix) and Brown is expected to enter camp as a full participant.

Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Dolphins

Tagovailoa had another concussion scare in 2024 that brought back concerns from two years ago when some thought he might not return to play. Again, Tagovailoa asserted his confidence in himself and his health going forward, returning to play six weeks after the injury (four missed games plus a bye). He did miss the final two weeks of the season with a hip injury, but general manager Chris Grier told reporters in January there was no long-term concern. Coming off a season with the most missed games since his rookie year, the Dolphins hope Tagovailoa will repeat his 2023 campaign of no missed time.

Christian Kirk, WR, Texans

Kirk missed half the 2024 season due to a broken collarbone, but the Jaguars were able to deal him to the Texans in March. Although Kirk has struggled with injuries at different points in his career, he did have two consecutive seasons playing every game in 2021 and 2022. While there's always a chance of re-fracturing a collarbone, it would require enough specific forces that makes it unlikely. The larger concern -- outside of his target share in this offense -- is whether the 28-year-old can keep the soft tissue injuries at bay.

Dalton Kincaid, TE, Bills

Kincaid injured his left knee in Week 10 against the Colts and initially tried, unsuccessfully, to return to the game. He would go on to miss the next three games. Despite returning in Week 15, he played limited snaps for the remainder of the season and did not appear fully healthy. Teammate Dawson Knox told reporters Kincaid had torn his PCL in one knee and aggravated the other. The hope is that the offseason afforded Kincaid enough time for the PCL to heal, but it would still not come as a surprise if his activity is controlled up through the early part of camp.

Jonathon Brooks, RB, Panthers

Last year, there was excitement midseason about the rookie's expected NFL debut, delayed by his rehabilitation from an ACL tear reconstructed in November 2023 while still at Texas. That enthusiasm was short-lived, as Brooks re-tore his right ACL on a non-contact play in just his third game back. The Panthers smartly placed him on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) in early May, meaning he will not see the field at all in 2025 as he focuses on recovery.