Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow will undergo surgery after suffering a significant turf toe injury in Week 2 of the 2025 NFL season. The setback is expected to sideline him for at least three months, casting doubt on whether he will return this year. For Burrow, it’s another major chapter in an already troubling injury history — one that includes a torn ACL in 2020, an appendectomy in 2022, and a lingering calf strain in 2023.
When healthy, Burrow has proven he’s one of the NFL’s elite, leading the Bengals to a Super Bowl appearance and multiple playoff berths. But durability questions are beginning to cloud his long-term outlook. His situation brings to mind several NFL greats whose careers were cut short — or forever altered — by repeated injuries.
Here’s a look at some of those players, with the numbers that showed just how great they were before injuries took their toll:
1. Bo Jackson (RB, Raiders)
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Career Stats: 2,782 rushing yards, 16 rushing TDs; 16.8 yards per kickoff return
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Jackson was a once-in-a-generation athlete who starred in both the NFL and MLB. A devastating hip injury in 1991 ended his football career prematurely, leaving fans with only flashes of what he could have accomplished.
2. Terrell Davis (RB, Broncos)
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Career Stats: 7,607 rushing yards, 60 rushing TDs, 3 Pro Bowls, 2x Super Bowl Champion, NFL MVP (1998)
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Davis dominated the late 1990s, including a 2,008-yard rushing season in 1998. Unfortunately, knee injuries derailed his career after just four full seasons, limiting him to 17 games in his final three years.
3. Andrew Luck (QB, Colts)
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Career Stats: 23,671 passing yards, 171 TDs, 53 INTs, 4 Pro Bowls
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Luck was viewed as the heir to Peyton Manning but dealt with shoulder, kidney, and rib injuries that kept him in constant rehab cycles. He stunned the NFL by retiring at age 29, citing the physical and emotional toll of repeated injuries.
4. Sterling Sharpe (WR, Packers)
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Career Stats: 595 receptions, 8,134 yards, 65 TDs in just 7 seasons
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Sharpe was one of the league’s premier receivers before a severe neck injury ended his career in 1994 at age 29. He led the NFL in receptions three times and remains one of the greatest “what if” stories in football history.
5. Gale Sayers (RB, Bears)
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Career Stats: 4,956 rushing yards, 39 total TDs, 5x All-Pro, NFL Hall of Fame
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Nicknamed the “Kansas Comet,” Sayers was dazzling with the ball in his hands. Knee injuries shortened his career to just seven seasons, but his impact was so great he still earned a Hall of Fame induction.
6. Robert Griffin III (QB, Washington)
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Career Stats: 8,803 passing yards, 42 passing TDs, 10 rushing TDs in 56 games
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Griffin’s electrifying 2012 rookie season (3,200 passing yards, 815 rushing yards, 27 total TDs) made him one of the league’s most exciting players. But an ACL tear and repeated lower-body injuries robbed him of his explosiveness, ending his prime far too soon.
Closing Thought
Joe Burrow still has time to write his story, but another major injury requiring surgery raises serious questions about his long-term durability. If his absence derails Cincinnati’s 2025 season, Burrow’s name may begin to appear alongside the unfortunate list of NFL stars whose greatness was dimmed by injuries.
