Injury in the NFL is ever-present and it’s something that has affected many Pittsburgh Steelers players over the years and the club’s standings. A look at the careers of Devin Bush Jr. and Ryan Shazier makes it clear the potential affect that injuries can have. However, this raises the question if players generally struggle to return to their previous form after an injury, or if they usually make a full comeback?
Joshua Gunter / cleveland.com
Former Pittsburgh Steelers inside linebacker, Devin Bush (55) injured on the field. This event would change his career forever.
Below, you can learn about the common factors that determine how athletes recover from injury and some NFL case studies to show examples of serious injuries that unfortunately have resulted in either no recovery at all, or a reduced player performance afterwards.
Factors that affect a player’s form after injury
No two sports injuries are the same. Two players might suffer a similar injury, but that doesn’t mean they will recover in the same way. There are a range of contributing factors, including age, the type of injury and player motivation.
Age
The older you get, the slower your body is to recover from injuries. If an NFL player suffered a ligament tear in their early 20s, they would have a much higher chance of recovering fully, compared to the same injury happening in their late 20s to 30s.
Type of injury
Recovering from a bruised ribcage isn’t as tough as recovering from a torn ACL. The potential for recovery largely depends on the type of injury. Some injuries, such as ligament tears are often career-ending as the reduced strength in the ligament after recovery means the player loses agility, speed and flexibility.
Sport
Injuries in some sports can be much more dangerous. For example, contact sports such as soccer, football, rugby, boxing and MMA all have the potential for career-ending injuries. Of course, the organizations and leagues have safety measures that try to protect their players, but if you compared NFL injuries to swimming injuries, for example, there would be a huge difference in severity and the chance to recover fully.
Player motivation and determination
The individual plays a huge part in how well they recover from injury. This is also something to analyze for sports betting too. For example, if you wanted to place a props bet on an NFL player who was meant to play in the Super Bowl but is injured, you could look at their character to determine if they are likely to make a concerted effort to get in shape to play. If not, you could look at other bets like the moneyline, or props on other available players.
Rehabilitation process
The medical and physio teams behind the players plays a major role in recovery too. Usually, the athlete has access to the team’s medical experts. They will also receive a rehabilitation regime with exercises and dietary guidance. Simply put, some teams have more resources and better-developed medical facilities for their players, which could work in their favor for recovery times.
Ryan Shazier / Instagram
Former Steelers LB Ryan Shazier returns to practice for the first time since his devastating spinal cord injury.
NFL case studies: Steelers' Devin Bush and Ryan Shazier
As you can see, sports injuries are complex and there isn’t a definitive answer to whether a player can return when suffering damage. Below are two cases studies featuring former Pittsburgh Steelers players — both of whom suffered severe injuries that affected their playing career in two different ways.
Devin Bush
Devin Bush is a prime example of how sports injuries can derail a potentially bright career. The son of former Atlanta Falcons NFL safety Devin Bush Sr., Bush Jr. showed incredible promise and was selected by the Steelers 10th in the 2019 NFL Draft. They traded three other picks to get this first round pick.
In his rookie season, he immediately joined the starting lineup and performed impressively with 16 GP, 109 total tackles, two sacks, four passes defended, nine tackles for loss and two interceptions. He also won the AFC Defensive Player of the Week and was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team.
This all looked fantastic, but after five games of the 2020 season, Bush Jr. suffered an ACL tear, which is one of the worst sports injuries. After that injury, he returned in 2021, but since then has never quite recaptured the form of his rookie season. Ultimately, the Steelers declined his fifth-year option.
Ryan Shazier
Ryan Shazier is another NFL star who had his career cut short due to a severe injury. He enjoyed an illustrious career with the Steelers including two Pro Bowl selections and was regularly ranked as one of the best linebackers in the league.
Throughout his career, he had numerous injuries, including a minor ankle injury in his rookie season and a nerve-damage injury to his shoulder in 2015. However, none of these injuries stopped him from playing and being successful, which shows that injury can be overcome.
However, in 2017, Shazier suffered a severe back injury as the result of a head-on tackle against the Cincinnati Bengals. After the impact, he was motionless and unable to move his legs and ultimately had to be carried off on a stretcher. Scans showed that he had suffered a spinal contusion, which ultimately ended his NFL playing career.
Peter Diana / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Injury can be a bump or a major obstacle, but no case is the same
To answer our original question, yes, players can bounce back from injuries – even major ones. However, there are many contributing factors to how a player recovers, including the type of injury, the sport, their age and their own determination and drive to succeed.
