NFL players play through injury, but none have done so like Donovan McNabb. After Tua Tagovailoa's nasty concussion in the game against the Bengals last night, it got us thinking about the times players have gotten injured but still played on anyway.
Not wanting to seem 'soft' to fans and teammates, sometimes players continue even when it is ill-advised.
In this article today, we will look at three NFL players who played through injury to the detriment of their bodies with one player nearly losing his life.
Here are three players who fought through injuries and suffered afterward.
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# 3 - Chris Simms
Back when Simms was Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback, he nearly lost his life for the sake of playing through injury. In 2006, while playing against the Carolina Panthers, Simms was battered from every which way that included big hits.
He was clearly injured, but played on anyway. After the game, he was taken to the hospital where it was revealed he had a ruptured spleen. The scary part was, had Simms waited another 45 minutes for surgery, his injury could have been fatal.
# 2 - Steve McNair
Tennessee Titans legend Steve McNair was as tough as they come. Back in 2006, the quarterback suffered a severely bruised sternum and broken ribs that required him to stay in the hospital for two nights.
Not to be deterred, McNair returned to play yet another five games before ending up getting surgery to correct it.
#1 - Donovan McNabb
An injury was never going to stop Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb, even if it meant playing through serious pain. Back in 2002, the quarterback showed his toughness in a Week 11 game against Arizona.
On the very first drive of the game, Donovan McNabb was sacked and was clearly hobbled. He waved away the trainers and continued to play, with some additional tape on his leg. Well, it turned out that after the game, he was sent for X-Rays and he had broken his leg (fibula in three places).
The Eagles won the game easily, 38-14 with McNabb throwing for four touchdowns in the one-sided victory.
Due to him continuing to play, Donovan McNabb would miss the next six weeks for the Eagles and return in time for the postseason.
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