There’s one HUGE problem with using IR rates to track injury rates. Late in the year, teams no longer have to make decisions on players. They just put them on IR. You would expect lots more players on IR in the final two or three weeks. It doesn’t mean they are getting injured more. It just means they are ‘done for the year’ more because the year is almost over. IR is a roster mechanism, and not effective for tracking real injury rates.
In 2007, a total of 429 NFL players were placed on IR. Of those, Of those, 198 went on the list prior to the start of the regular season (when most IR designations are made for roster-trimming reasons). Another 58 went on IR in Weeks one-through-five, 43 more in Weeks six-through-nine, 58 more in Weeks 10-through-13 and 72 in the final four weeks and the postseason.
In 2008, the total number of players placed on IR was 431. Of those, 197 went on before the start of the regular season, 36 more in Weeks one-through-five, 61 in the next four weeks, 72 in the next four weeks and 65 in the final four weeks and postseason.
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