Every NFL season, thousands of players sustain injuries that range from a single missed play to a career-ending surgery. The NFL has one of the highest injury rates of any professional sport, with studies showing that the average team loses roughly 2,900 player-game days to injury across a 17-game regular season. Understanding which injuries are most common, why they happen, and how kinesiology tape fits into the modern prevention and recovery toolkit is valuable for anyone who plays football — whether you are in the NFL, a college program, or a weekend recreational league.

The Scale of NFL Injuries

The NFL employs 32 teams, each carrying an active roster of 53 players plus a practice squad. Every team has a full-time medical staff including at least two certified athletic trainers (ATCs), a team physician, and an orthopaedic surgeon on call. Despite this, the physical demands of the game produce an injury environment unlike any other professional sport.

A landmark epidemiology study published in the Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine found that NFL players sustained approximately 1,500 injuries significant enough to cause missed game time across a single regular season. A separate analysis of NFL injury report data across five consecutive seasons found that musculoskeletal lower extremity injuries account for over 60% of all time-loss injuries, with the ankle, knee, and hamstring as the top three sites.

Pre-season carries a disproportionately high injury risk: research shows that injury rates during pre-season practices and games are 2–3 times higher than during regular season games on a per-play basis, largely due to players overreaching their conditioning base after the off-season.

The 7 Most Common NFL Injuries

1. Ankle Sprains

Ankle sprains are the single most common NFL injury by volume, accounting for approximately 14–16% of all time-loss injuries per season. The lateral ankle complex — the anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL), calcaneofibular ligament (CFL), and posterior talofibular ligament — is damaged when the ankle rolls inward (inversion sprain), which happens constantly during cutting, landing, and contact. Defensive backs and wide receivers are at highest risk due to the lateral direction changes inherent to their roles.

NFL athletic trainers apply preventive taping before every game and practice. Research published in the Journal of Athletic Training consistently shows that prophylactic ankle taping reduces ankle sprain incidence by 50–75% in players with a history of ankle injury. TapeGeeks kinesiology tape applied to the ankle peroneal line provides proprioceptive feedback without the rigidity of rigid strapping tape, making it the preferred approach for ongoing training days between games.

2. Hamstring Strains

Hamstring strains are the most common muscle injury in the NFL, and among the most frustrating for teams because of their high recurrence rate. Analysis of NFL injury data published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine found that hamstring strains accounted for 12–13% of all NFL injuries over a five-year study period, with a re-injury rate of approximately 22% within the same season.

Hamstring strains most commonly occur during high-speed sprinting (the eccentric loading phase as the hamstring decelerates the swinging leg). Wide receivers and running backs sustain the highest rates. Kinesiology tape applied along the biceps femoris line is one of the most studied applications in sports medicine: a 2020 review in the Journal of Physical Therapy Science found that kinesiology taping of the hamstring significantly reduced pain and improved muscle activation during rehabilitation. TapeGeeks kinesiology tape is particularly well-suited for hamstring support because its length (up to 50 cm per strip) covers the full muscle belly from ischial tuberosity to tibial head.

3. Knee Sprains — MCL

Medial collateral ligament (MCL) sprains are the most common knee injury in the NFL, accounting for approximately 7–9% of all NFL injuries. The MCL is the ligament on the inner side of the knee that resists valgus (knock-knee) force. In football, MCL injuries most often result from a direct blow to the outside of the knee or from planted-foot cutting movements. Most MCL sprains are Grade 1 or 2 and do not require surgery — the average missed game time for an NFL MCL sprain is 2–4 weeks. Kinesiology tape applied along the medial knee provides support and pain relief during the rehabilitation phase and prophylactic protection on return to contact.

4. ACL Tears

ACL injuries are lower frequency than MCL sprains but dramatically higher severity. An ACL tear ends a player's season — average return to sport after ACL reconstruction surgery in the NFL is 10–12 months, and 20–30% of NFL players who sustain an ACL tear do not return to the same level of play. Studies using NFL injury report data estimate 35–50 ACL injuries per season across the league, with the highest rates in defensive backs, running backs, and linebackers. Despite their severity, ACL tears cannot be treated with kinesiology tape alone — they require surgical reconstruction. However, TapeGeeks kinesiology tape plays a significant role in ACL post-operative rehabilitation for pain management, swelling reduction, and quadriceps re-activation in the 0–12 week post-surgery phase.

5. Shoulder Injuries (AC Joint, Rotator Cuff, Labrum)

Shoulder injuries collectively represent 8–10% of NFL time-loss injuries. Three distinct structures are most commonly affected: the acromioclavicular (AC) joint (separated shoulder from direct impact), the rotator cuff (tendon tears from throwing and tackling stress), and the glenohumeral labrum (torn from shoulder dislocations, common in quarterbacks and defensive players). Offensive linemen and quarterbacks carry the highest shoulder injury rates. Kinesiology tape applied to the shoulder in a deltoid support or AC joint offload pattern is widely used by NFL athletic trainers for Grade 1–2 AC joint sprains and rotator cuff tendinopathy management during the season.

6. Concussions

The NFL's 2024 season report confirmed concussions decreased to a historic low, with 156 concussions reported across pre-season and regular season — down from a peak of 281 in 2017. Rule changes (particularly targeting rules and kickoff modifications introduced in 2024) have driven this reduction: the NFL's new dynamic kickoff format resulted in a 25% reduction in kickoff-related concussions in its first season. Concussions cannot be managed with tape. NFL protocol requires removal from play, same-day evaluation, and clearance through a 5-step return-to-play protocol before a player can practice or play again.

7. Quadriceps and Hip Flexor Strains

Quadriceps strains (approximately 5–6% of NFL injuries) and hip flexor strains (3–4%) typically occur during explosive acceleration or kicking movements. They are most common in skill positions (wide receivers, running backs, kickers). Like hamstring strains, these injuries have meaningful recurrence rates — a previous quad or hip flexor strain is one of the strongest independent predictors of a subsequent injury at the same site. TapeGeeks kinesiology tape applied along the rectus femoris or iliopsoas line reduces pain perception and supports neuromuscular activation during return-to-play, making it a practical tool throughout the 2–4 week rehabilitation process.

How Kinesiology Tape Fits into the NFL Athletic Training Model

Every NFL team employs a head certified athletic trainer (ATC) and 3–5 assistant ATCs, all of whom are credentialed through the NATA (National Athletic Trainers' Association). These professionals apply tape — both rigid strapping tape and kinesiology tape — before every single practice and game. On game day, a team's athletic training staff may apply 100+ individual taping applications before kickoff.

Kinesiology tape has a different function from rigid strapping tape. Where rigid tape immobilises a joint to prevent motion, kinesiology tape:

• Provides proprioceptive feedback — The tape's tension on the skin activates skin mechanoreceptors, improving the body's positional awareness of the taped joint or muscle. This is particularly valuable for ankle and knee rehabilitation.
• Supports lymphatic drainage — Applied with a lifting technique, kinesiology tape decompresses the skin and superficial fascia, improving lymphatic flow to reduce swelling faster post-injury.
• Reduces muscle inhibition — Pain causes the nervous system to inhibit activation of muscles around an injured joint. Kinesiology tape applied with facilitation technique (toward the muscle's insertion) restores muscle activation patterns during rehabilitation.
• Allows full range of motion — Unlike rigid tape, kinesiology tape moves with the body, making it practical for multi-day wear throughout training weeks, not just game days.

A 2022 systematic review in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health analysed 28 randomised controlled trials and found that kinesiology taping produced statistically significant improvements in pain reduction and functional performance compared to no-tape controls in athletes with acute and sub-acute lower extremity injuries — the exact injury categories that dominate NFL injury reports.

NFL Injury Rate by Position

Can Recreational Football Players Use the Same Taping Strategies as NFL Athletes?

Absolutely. The kinesiology tape techniques used by NFL athletic trainers are the same ones available to every recreational athlete. The difference is access: NFL players have a certified ATC applying tape for them. Recreational players and weekend league participants can apply TapeGeeks kinesiology tape themselves with a few minutes of instruction.

For flag football, touch football, and recreational tackle leagues, the highest-priority applications are:

• Ankle prophylactic taping — Apply TapeGeeks kinesiology tape in a stirrup pattern before every game if you have had a previous ankle sprain. The evidence for recurrence reduction is strong.
• Hamstring support — Apply along the biceps femoris after a warm-up if you are in the first 4–6 weeks returning from a hamstring strain, or if your hamstrings are consistently tight and fatigued.
• Knee medial support — A medial knee strip can reduce the perceived instability and pain that many recreational players experience with chronic MCL laxity after a previous knee sprain.

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