What is a turf toe injury in NFL?

Significant injuries are commonplace in sports, but turf toe injuries have to be the worst in the NFL. Turf toe injuries have humbled the best of players in the league, as nobody is safe, not linebackers, quarterbacks, or safeties.

The NFL is pretty physical, so it is no surprise that players pick up their fair share of injuries, but one can wonder why such an injury has been the kryptonite of so many top dogs. Here, we'll be looking at the nature of this specific type of injury, the recovery rate, and a few players affected by it over time.

What is a turf toe injury?

It is an injury to the big toe on the bottom side, at the base where the metatarsal bone and the proximal (closest) phalanx of the big toe articulate.

The recovery rates

The recovery rate of turf toe injuries varies as it depends on the severity of the injury.

These injuries are in grades; a grade one injury is minor, and the affected player can return to the game. It is common for players to pick up a knock in the first quarter and come back firing in the third or fourth quarter of the same game.

A grade two injury is slightly different as it involves some tearing. Such an injury would entail the affected player missing a few weeks of action and undergoing basic physiotherapy.

A grade three injury is the worst-case scenario, as this involves an affected player missing weeks and maybe even months of action. Occasionally, the player could be shut down for the season and told to cool down till the next one. Such are the time-frames for these issues.

Notable players affected by turf toe

Cincinnati Bengals' superstar wide receiver AJ Green suffered a turf toe injury against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 8 of the 2018 NFL season. This injury kept him out for a full month, jeopardizing his side.

Moreover, Green re-injured the toe and required surgery which ruled him out for a full 16 months following the procedure.

Another notable player afflicted by this pesky issue was Patrick Mahomes, who struggled with the same injury during the 2021 season. It affected the Kansas City Chiefs' title chances.

It is worth noting that the players most affected by this injury are wide receivers, tight ends, and occasionally, safeties. Stars like Antonio Gibson, Julio Jones, and Davante Adams can attest to it.