Why so many ACL injuries this season in the NFL?

Multiple, high-profile NFL players have sustained ACL injuries since the season kicked-off just three weeks ago, including New York Giants’ running back Saquon Barkley, San Francisco 49ers’ defensive end Nick Bosa, and most recently, Chicago Bears’ running back Tarik Cohen. The NFL has the most advanced ACL prevention protocols and the best trainers in the world. With all we have learned over the past decade on how to prevent ACL injuries, why are they still occurring and why with such frequency this football season? Is it due to the COVID-related truncated training camps, lack of preseason games, and/or limited contact in training? Or, is it the turf, as alleged with Pittsburgh Steeler right tackle Zach Banner’s injury?

Pietro Tonino, MD, director of sports medicine at Loyola University Medical Center, is available to discuss this season’s rash of ACL injuries, whether the NFL should expect (and how can they prevent) additional ACL injuries, and the long-term physical and career impact of such an injury on a professional player.