Lion’s Tim Patrick Ranked Among NFL’s Most Injury-Prone Players

• Detroit Lions Tim Patrick is the fifth most accident-prone NFL player, with 35 games played with an injury and an average injury severity of 5.6 out of 10.
• The research analyzed the severity of injuries and number of games affected by these to determine the players most likely to sit out this season. 
• Jody Fortson, Shane Lemieux, and Rams Tyler Davis round out the top three most accident-prone players, according to the study.  

New data highlights the most accident-prone players in the NFL.

The research, conducted by sports data experts Lineups.com, examined the severity of injuries sustained by NFL players between 2021 and 2024, excluding those that were not part of the 2024 roster. There were six types of injuries with increasing severities, with one indicating a 75% chance of playing and six indicating a player being on the reserve list. This was then compared against the number of games played while sustaining injuries. Then, an injury index score between zero and 100 was created to determine the most injury-prone players in 2025.

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Jody Fortson ranks first, with an injury index score of 96.68 out of 100. According to the study, Fortson needed medical attention during 46 games since 2021. He also has the highest severity score in the top ten, totaling 5.91 out of 6, indicating that this player is most at risk of experiencing career-threatening injuries in 2025.

In second place, with an injury index score of 93.25 out of 100, is New Orleans Saints offensive lineman Shane Lemieux. Between 2021 and 2024, he played 52 games while injured. His injuries also had an average severity of 5.46, a score that any NFL medical staff would view with serious concern when planning weekly lineups.

With an injury index score of 93.08 out of 100, Tyler Davis follows in third place. The Los Angeles Rams tight end played 38 games with injuries and has an average injury severity score of 5.89, according to the study, which suggests he will need intensive treatments or extended recovery periods.

J.K. Dobbins follows as the fourth most injury-prone player over the last four years in the NFL. The running back for the Los Angeles Chargers was injured during 45 games between 2021 and 2024, resulting in an average severity score of 5.60 out of 6 and indicating that the player is physically unable to perform optimally on the pitch. As such, Dobbins has an injury index score of 92.41 out of 100.

With an injury index score of 91.67 out of 100, Tim Patrick ranks fifth in the NFL. The wide receiver dragged his hurting body through 35 games while fighting various physical problems, making fewer appearances on injury lists than others in the study, but with injuries rated a severe 5.89 out of 6 by doctors.

Table 1: The top 10 most injury-prone NFL players

According to the study, the only team with multiple players in the top ten is the Cleveland Browns. Defensive tackle Maurice Hurst Jr. ranks sixth, with an injury index score of 91.52 out of 100, appearing on injury reports for 51 games and having an average severity score of 5.35 out of 6. Fellow teammate Nick Harris follows with an injury index score of 90.54 out of 100, playing 33 games injured and having an average severity score of 5.88 out of 6.

In eighth place is New York Jets offensive lineman Wes Schweitzer, with an injury index score of 89.95 out of 100, followed by Eagles tackle Mekhi Becton in ninth, with a score of 89.24 out of 100. Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle completes the top ten, with an injury index score of 89.04 out of 100, highlighting the weekly physical toll that ball carriers face in professional football.

A spokesman from Lineups.com comments, “These numbers show why injury history matters when building NFL rosters, as players who regularly appear on medical reports miss significant time and play worse even when they manage to suit up for games.

“Tight ends and offensive linemen rule the injury rankings, taking five spots among the top ten most physically battered players in the NFL. These positions force players to crash into opponents on almost every play, creating perfect conditions for bodies to fall apart quickly as the season grinds on.

“The Browns are the only team with two players on football’s most injury-prone list, raising red flags throughout the organization. The appearance of both Hurst and Harris on the treatment table charts could leave Cleveland fans wondering if the team’s strength and conditioning program needs a complete overhaul or if the lakeside club simply picked the wrong cards in the injury lottery.”

Thanks for data info credit: https://www.lineups.com/

Methodology

The study gathered injury data for all NFL teams from the 2021 season through to the 2024 season using data from Pro Football Reference as the primary source. Researchers converted categorical injury designations to numerical values using the following scale:

• Probable (75% chance of playing): 1
• Questionable (50% chance of playing): 2
• Doubtful (25% chance of playing): 3
• Out: 4
• Physically Unable to Perform: 5
• Injured Reserve: 6

Players were ranked based on two primary factors both weighted equally:

• Number of games where the player carried any form of injury from 2021 to 2024
• Average severity of injuries

These factors were combined to create an overall injury index out of 100, with higher scores indicating more injury-prone players. Players not on the 2024 roster were excluded from the analysis.

Source

• Pro Football Reference