Injuries happen in professional sports during the preseason, the regular season, and during the playoffs or championship games when things truly matter.
An athlete’s injury spells doom and despair for a team, unless that team can find someone to replicate that production. However, there are times when athletes suffer injuries at the worst possible time, where that injury can significantly impact their careers, the outcome of a game, or an entire season.
At TPS, we will explore times when an athlete was injured at the worst possible time. With so many would’ve, could’ve, and should ‘ves out there that make the difference between making it or breaking it, the take-home message is to stay healthy out there, as an injury can tank the most successful career and bring a team to its knees.
Here are 15 Athletes Who Were Injured at the Worst Time Possible.
Which athletes suffered major injuries at crucial moments in their careers?
Tyrese Haliburton
Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers were on fire in the 2024-25 season, as the team cruised through the playoffs with ease. In the 2025 NBA Finals, Haliburton played his heart out but suffered a right calf injury in game five. Haliburton powered on through and played in game six. Haliburton started game seven very well, then went down with a torn Achilles tendon with four minutes and 55 seconds left in the first quarter.
The Oklahoma City Thunder went on to win game seven 103-91, as Haliburton is likely to miss the 2025-26 season. If Haliburton didn’t injure his Achilles, he and the Pacers could’ve put up a stronger fight against the Thunder and potentially could have won the NBA Finals and Finals MVP for his performance in the series.
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NFL stories via Google! Follow Us
Robert Griffin III
Griffin III put Washington on the map during the 2012 season, thanks to his elusive play as a dual-threat quarterback. Griffin III won the Offensive Rookie of the Year award for his amazing performance on the field and helped the team win the NFC East and reach the playoffs. Unfortunately, Griffin III re-injured his knee during the team’s Wildcard game.
Washington lost 14-24 to the Seattle Seahawks, and he had to undergo ACL and LCL surgery. Griffin III’s career was never the same after that, as his play declined, he was benched for Kirk Cousins in 2015, and he became a journeyman backup quarterback.
Odell Beckham Jr.
OBJ took the NFL by storm with his iconic one-handed catch in a Sunday Night game against the Dallas Cowboys. From there, he became one of the league’s most electric wide receivers. However, injuries affected his play during his time in the league. In 2021, Beckham Jr. was traded from the Browns to the Rams, where he helped them win Super Bowl 56.
However, after he scored a touchdown, Beckham Jr. suffered a torn ACL in the same knee, which derailed his 2020 season. Although OBJ earned a Super Bowl ring, his career was never the same, as he lacked the same explosiveness during his recent stints with the Ravens and Dolphins.
Kevin Durant
Arguably one of the best NBA players of all time, Durant made the Oklahoma City Thunder very fun to watch in the 2010s. When he joined the Golden State Warriors in 2016, he became one of the league’s biggest villains after helping them win back-to-back NBA Championships. In the 2019 NBA Finals, Durant played in game five after missing some time with a strained right calf.
Unfortunately, Durant suffered an Achilles tendon injury and was helped off the court. The Toronto Raptors won their first NBA Championship, and Durant has had some very good stints with the Brooklyn Nets and Phoenix Suns. With Durant traded to the Houston Rockets, will he help make them title contenders? We’ll just have to wait and see.
Klay Thompson
Speaking of the Warriors, Thompson was Stephen Curry’s ace during his time on the team, as he helped them become a dynasty in the 2010s. However, Thompson dealt with his share of injuries that impacted the Warriors. One of those injuries was a torn ACL in game six of the 2019 NBA Finals. The Raptors won the game and the series as Thompson missed significant time while recovering.
Luckily, Thompson returned to action during the 2022 season and helped the Warriors win the 2022 NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics. The Warriors would’ve been a super dynasty if Thompson and Durant hadn’t suffered their significant injuries. Hopefully, Thompson can help the Dallas Mavericks win another Championship.
Derrick Rose
Rose was next-level talent during his prime with the Chicago Bulls, as he won the 2011 NBA MVP at 22 years old, and was about to take the league by storm. Then everything came crashing down in the 2011-12 season when Rose suffered an ACL tear in his left knee during a playoff game against the Philadelphia 76ers. Rose missed the entire 2012-13 season recovering from the tear, but tore his meniscus in his right knee in a game against the Portland Trailblazers.
Rose was never the same, and bounced around the NBA for a large portion of his career. With his tragic Shakespearean career, sports fans are left to wonder if Rose would’ve helped the Bulls capture an NBA Title if he hadn’t suffered that torn ACL.
Carson Palmer
Though Palmer wasn’t known to be an elite quarterback, he helped lift the Cincinnati Bengals out of obscurity during his time with the team, helping them reach the playoffs in the 2005 and 2009 seasons. During the 2006 Wildcard Round, Palmer suffered a torn ACL and MCL after being tackled by Pittsburgh Steelers’ defensive tackle Kimo von Oelhoffen.
The Bengals lost the game 17-31, and the Steelers won the Super Bowl that season. Palmer rebounded later in his career and helped the Arizona Cardinals reach the 2016 NFC Championship game. However, it would’ve been heartwarming to see the Bengals win a playoff game against their AFC North rivals at the time.
Carson Wentz
Wentz was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2016, with the hopes that he would become the next face of the franchise. Wentz was having an MVP-like season in 2017 as the Eagles dominated their opponents. Unfortunately, Wentz suffered a torn ACL injury during a week 14 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams and was out for the rest of the 2017 season. Nick Foles took over for Wentz and led the Eagles to a dominant Super Bowl 52 victory over the New England Patriots.
Wentz’s career was never the same; his play on the field was average to mediocre, an anonymous teammate said Wentz was negatively impacting the team, and he was ultimately benched for Jalen Hurts in 2020. Wentz had two very forgettable stints with the Indianapolis Colts and Washington Commanders and became a backup during his time with the Rams and Kansas City Chiefs.
Jim McMahon
McMahon wasn’t an elite quarterback in the 1980s, but he got the job done and played a key role in the Chicago Bears’ Super Bowl 20 winning team. McMahon and the Bears looked poised to repeat as Super Bowl champions in 1986. Unfortunately, during a week 12 game against the Green Bay Packers, Charles Martin grabbed McMahon from behind and slammed him to the turf, exacerbating a torn rotator cuff that he was already dealing with. Martin was ejected for his actions and suspended for two games by the league at the time.
The Bears finished the regular season with a 14-2 record, but were bounced out of the Divisional Round of the playoffs in a 13-27 loss to Washington, as McMahon didn’t play his best game. McMahon had stints with the Chargers, Eagles, Vikings, Cardinals, Browns, and Packers, and ultimately helped the Packers win Super Bowl 31 as a backup to Brett Favre.
Aaron Rodgers
Despite all the controversy surrounding Rodgers, he will go down as a Hall of Famer for all he accomplished with the Packers. During the 2023 season, Rodgers was traded to the Jets with high expectations of winning now with an MVP quarterback. However, after four plays during the first game of the regular season, Rodgers suffered a torn Achilles injury, and his 2023 season was over. Zach Wilson started the rest of the season, but the Jets went nowhere.
Rodgers returned to action in 2024, but the Jets finished the season with a 5-12 record, and his play wasn’t great. Rodgers was released in the 2025 offseason and signed with the Steelers in June 2025. If Rodgers didn’t suffer that Achilles injury, he could’ve potentially helped the Jets return to the playoffs, but that sadly never happened, and his stint with the Jets was a flop.
LaDainian Tomlinson
Tomlinson is arguably one of the greatest running backs to play in the 2000s, winning the NFL MVP for his historic 2006 season when he rushed for 1,815 yards and scored 28 rushing touchdowns. Tomlinson’s 2007 season was great, but not to the iconic level of his 2006 season. Tomlinson and the Chargers reached the 2008 AFC Championship game. Unfortunately, Tomlinson played with an MCL sprain and re-injured his knee, sidelining him for the rest of the game. The Patriots won the game 21-12 before losing to the Giants in Super Bowl 42.
Tomlinson helped the Bolts reach the playoffs in the 2008 and 2009 seasons, but the team lost in the Divisional Rounds to the Steelers and the Jets, respectively. Tomlinson signed with the Jets in 2010 and helped them reach the 2011 AFC Championship game before they lost to the Steelers. If Tomlinson and Philip Rivers weren’t injured, the Chargers could’ve put up a stronger fight against the Patriots and potentially pulled off an upset, but that sadly never happened.
Derek Carr
Carr led the Raiders to a very respectable 12-4 record in 2016 and secured the team’s first playoff berth since the 2002 season. Unfortunately, during the team’s week 16 Christmas Eve game against the Colts, Carr suffered a fractured fibula injury after getting sacked by Trent Cole and was out for the rest of the 2016 season. Matt McGloin replaced Carr for the Raiders’ week 17 game, but he suffered a shoulder injury and was replaced by third-stringer Connor Cook.
Cook struggled in the Raiders’ Wildcard matchup in a 14-27 loss against the Texans. Carr helped the “Silver and Black” reach the playoffs one more time in 2021, but the team lost that game to the Bengals. If Carr didn’t fracture his fibula, he and the Raiders could’ve won their first playoff game since the 2002 season.
Tim Krumrie
Krumrie played a significant role for the Bengals in the 1980s, helping the team reach Super Bowl 23 against the 49ers. During the game, Krumrie suffered a gruesome broken leg after coming off a block against 49ers’ linemen Jesse Sapolu and Randy Cross to make a tackle on running back Roger Craig.
Bengals’ coach Sam Wyche said, “Get up, Tim. Get up, Tim,” as Krumrie was on the field. Krumrie was also diagnosed with a broken tibia and fibula, but refused to go to the hospital at first and watched the game on TV in the locker room before paramedics said he would go into shock if he didn’t. Krumrie had a 15-inch steel rod implanted to stabilize his broken leg, and he played for six more years in the league.
Brandon Webb
Webb is a former star pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks, where he was a three-time MLB All-Star, led the National League in wins in 2006 and 2007, led the team to the 2007 NLCS, and was the 2006 NL Cy Young Award winner. Unfortunately, Webb’s MLB career was cut short in 2009 after he suffered a right shoulder bursitis injury during Opening Day against the Colorado Rockies. Webb underwent surgery to remove damaged tissue as he missed the entire 2009 season.
Webb attempted a comeback with the Texas Rangers, but he never regained his form during his prime. Many people believed Webb would’ve been a Hall of Famer enshrined in Cooperstown if it wasn’t for the shoulder injury he suffered in 2009.
Tank Dell
Dell is a wide receiver who played a significant role in the Texans becoming an AFC South powerhouse, along with C. J. Stroud. However, his career has been affected by injuries. Dell suffered a fractured fibula during a week 13 game against the Broncos and was out for the 2023 season. Dell returned to action in the 2024 season but suffered a dislocated knee, multiple torn ligaments, and meniscus damage after he collided with Jared Wayne on a touchdown pass from Stroud in the Texans’ week 16 matchup against the Chiefs.
Dell’s 2024 season ended, and the Texans lost to the Chiefs in the Divisional Round of the playoffs weeks later. Dell is projected to miss the entire 2025 season as he recovers from his injuries. If Dell hadn’t suffered his gruesome knee injury in week 16, perhaps the Texans could’ve defeated the Chiefs in the Divisional Round of the playoffs and reached the AFC Championship game, but we’ll never know.
