One Non-QB Each NFL Team Cannot Afford To Lose To Serious Injury

Understandably, most fan NFL fan bases cross all of their fingers and toes in hopes that their starting quarterback doesn’t get hurt. However, there are 21 other starting players to consider on offense and defense. Not all injury losses are created equal on other parts of the roster either, which is why we’ll highlight non QB’s who will need to stay healthy for their teams to win during the 2023 NFL season.

The Eagles are one of the deepest teams in the NFL, which has allowed them to navigate periods where their players are banged up. Philadelphia has a lot of unproven youth on the defensive line that might be great in a year or two. Until the future arrives, Cox will need to anchor that unit as a reliable source of production up front.

As many have pointed out, the Giants’ passing attack scared no one last season. It’s remarkable that they made it to the Divisional Round of the playoffs relying primarily on their ground game. New York is hoping to open it up a bit more with the addition of Waller. If the tight end were to go down, the offense would look eerily similar to what New York rolled out a year ago.

The Cowboys decided to part ways with Ezekiel Elliott, which has opened the door for Pollard to become the starter. Many have clamored for this move for a couple of years, as Pollard brings a dynamic explosiveness to the backfield. He may not be tasked with handling gargantuan workloads, but he’ll need to be on the field to churn yards in the run game.

From a talent perspective, Young is one of the most gifted players in the NFL. He has all the tools to be a football legend, and hopes to cash in one some of that promise. He missed a large chunk of the 2022 campaign recovering from a knee injury, but should be good to go in 2023. Washington’s defense reaches a different level when Young is on the field.

New England’s passing offense should improve with the addition of offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien in 2023, but their bread will still be buttered in the trenches. It’s hard to envision the Patriots handing over complete control to Mac Jones under center, which is why Andrews’ intelligence on the offensive line and ability to create holes in the run game will be pivotal.

NFL fans may have heard that Aaron Rodgers plays for the Jets now, but that honeymoon period might not last if the veteran quarterback can’t stay upright. New York has no idea what they’re getting from Mekhi Becton on the right side of the line, which means that they’ll need to rely on Brown to hold down the fort on the other side.

The Bills’ playoff chances took a huge hit last season when Von Miller went down with a knee injury. The veteran pass rusher should come back some time during the 2023 campaign, but Buffalo will need to generate pressure from somewhere else. That’s where Rousseau enters the equation, and any missed time from him would leave the team in a bad spot in that department.

The Dolphins have made splashy moves in the last two seasons, but they’ll need to overcome the loss of CB Jalen Ramsey for a few months. While Miami wanted a lethal Ramsey-Howard tandem, they’ll roll out only the latter star cover corner for Week 1. Howard will have to stay on the field to help stabilize Miami’s secondary.

The Packers are a team in transition, and are hoping to find out what they have with quarterback Jordan Love. Some holdovers on the offensive line will help protect the young signal caller. Bakhtiari was one of Aaron Rodgers’ go-to guys, and he will need to be a veteran leader that Love can count on in 2023.

Minnesota invested premium draft capital in Darrisaw, who had an uneven 2022 campaign. He missed a few games with concussion issues, which prevented him from consistently being in the lineup. As the Vikings will likely continue to lean on the passing game, Darrisaw will be counted on to provide top-notch protection for Kirk Cousins.

The Bears had very few weapons on offense last season, and made a huge move to acquire Moore from the Carolina Panthers. Moore has already shown his worth this preseason, and is the type of player that quarterback Justin Fields can rely on. Any missed time from Moore would set the offense back significantly.

It might not be the first player Lions fans would highlight as a crucial key to the season, but Reynolds is going to be pretty important in the early going. Amon’ Ra St. Brown is a budding star that opposing defenses might double team, and Jamison Williams is suspended for the first six games. Reynolds will need to be available and effective to relieve pressure from St. Brown.

As they tend to do under Mike Tomlin, the Steelers finished over .500 in 2022 in what was supposed to be a rebuilding year. However, they got off to a slow start, and part of that was due to Watt being injured. When he came back, Pittsburgh’s fortunes began to change in the win column. The franchise hopes that their transcendent defensive player will be able to stay healthy.

Brown has lived a charmed NFL life so far. He’s had the excellent fortunes of blocking for Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson, and will now be tasked with protecting Joe Burrow. Jackson and Mahomes might also spin it the other way, as they’ve had the good fortune to have the four-time Pro Bowler block for them.

Fans are used to the Ravens having one of the stingiest defenses in the NFL, but their secondary had trouble stopping teams last year. Baltimore’s cornerbacks are already banged up, which will put more of an onus on Williams to play well. He’ll need to keep an embattled group together for the first few weeks of the season.

The Browns are looking to justify their investment in quarterback Deshaun Watson this season, but they won’t be able to reach their goals without Chubb. The running back is one of the best players in the NFL, and will do wonders to make Watson’s life easier. Teams will still have to think about putting an extra an at the line of scrimmage as long as Chubb is out there.

This is a bit of a cheat-sheet answer, since Jensen was injured for all of the 2022 regular season. Tampa Bay struggled to get much going in the trenches without him, and that theme plagued them all year. The Buccaneers will hope to get a full campaign out of Jensen, who is one of the best centers in the NFL.

New Orleans is hoping to get back to the top of the division, and thought they were a quarterback away from doing so. Derek Carr figures to be an upgrade, but not much has been said about the Saints’ patchwork receiving core. Olave is looked at as a player who could vault in superstardom, and he might need to with the injury questions that continue to surround Michael Thomas.

For a team that just had the number one overall pick in the draft(via trade), Carolina is not that far away from being back in the mix. They have young talent across their team, and made a savvy move by bringing Houston in. The veteran has been a part of many playoff games, and should help guide a youthful team that’s learning how to win.

Jarrett has been a member of the Falcons since he was drafted in 2015, and has been through many highs and lows. He’s still just 29 years old, which puts him in the prime of his career. There’s a lot of discussion about how Atlanta’s offense will look this season, but Jarrett is a main defensive cog that they cannot afford to lose.

Many scoffed at the Jaguars front office when they decided to invest a pretty penny in Kirk, but the former Arizona Cardinal showed a nice connection with quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Calvin Ridley will enter the fold in Jacksonville in 2023, but Kirk seems like something of a security blanket for his emerging star passer.

Simply put, the Titans will be in a world of trouble if Henry goes down for any length of time. Their offense has been built around the bruising running back, and it would be unreasonable to think that Tennessee could pivot to a passing team on the fly. With that said, the Titans might look to reduce Henry’s workload somewhat to keep him fresh.

The Texans seem to be a couple of years away from contention, but they quietly have a pesky defense that might give their opponents trouble. Stingley is part of that group, and has a huge opportunity to prove why he was taken third overall in the 2022 NFL Draft. Their secondary would experience a steep decline without the blue chip prospect’s services.

It figures to be a long year for the Colts, who have stripped down their roster in hopes of sustainable future success. With that said, Indianapolis will be looking to evaluate key young players, and having an all-pro guard like Nelson to maul defensive players up front will be a huge plus. The running game should still function as long as Nelson is on the field.

San Francisco has been one of the toughest teams to game plan for due to their creativity, but it all starts on the offensive and defensive line. Williams is getting up there in age, but is still an effective player who sets the tone. The 49ers will likely go with Brock Purdy under center, which means that Williams will need to play well to compensate for a lack of mobility that he possesses.

After a one year reprieve with the Los Angeles Rams, Wagner is back with Seattle, where he spent the first 10 years of his NFL career. He’s been a missile at linebacker, and was sorely missed by the Seahawks last year. Seattle didn’t provide much defensive resistance, so Wagner’s ability to hunt ballcarriers and provide leadership will be extremely valuable.

The Rams spent many years bringing top level players to the organization, but that approach has left them with a lack of depth. Los Angeles doesn’t have a lot of recognizable weapons on offense, so Kupp will have to continue to put forth historic efforts for the team to win games. He’s certainly capable of it, and would be a gargantuan loss if he were to get injured during the season.

Arizona will be looking for production anywhere they can find it this year, which means Conner figures to be very busy. He’s the most talented player on the offense by far, and projects to handle around 20 touches per game. If he’s not available, Arizona would have to rely on many unproven players to get on the scoreboard.

It would be hard to picture Kansas City not being relevant unless they lost Patrick Mahomes, but Kelce’s absence from the lineup would also be pretty significant. The future Hall of Fame tight end has a special connection with Mahomes that cannot be accurately quantified. The Chiefs have decided to put unproven wide receivers next to Kelce, which elevates his own importance.

The Raiders have had a difficult time putting together an effective defense year in and year out, but Crosby has been a stalwart for a few seasons. His unrelenting motor makes him someone that offenses need to keep an eye on. Should his notable efforts be missing, Las Vegas would be in dire straits from a competitive perspective.

As many running backs have done in recent months, Ekeler has recently contemplated his future with his current team. If there’s anyone who has a case for a long term deal at his position, it’s Ekeler. He’s been one of the most versatile weapons in the league, and has caught passes at the same clip as elite wide receivers.

With each passing season, Surtain has worked his way up the pecking order of shutdown NFL cornerbacks. His value is magnified when considering the division that he plays in. The Broncos need skilled secondary players to slow down the high-flying passing attacks in Kansas City and Los Angeles. Denver would have little to no chance of doing that without Surtain.