Top 5 impact injuries sustained during NFL Week 15, including Will Levis and Zach Wilson

Impact injuries
Credit: Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK

Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis (8) writhes in pain after being sacked in overtime of their game against the Houston Texans at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023. Levis left the game.

Injuries are commonplace each week in the NFL, and some have more of a significant and lasting effect on teams than others. And even more impact on fantasy teams everywhere. Here are Week 15’s biggest impact injuries through Sunday’s games.

1. Will Levis, Titans QB

At first glance, Levis was easily No. 1 among the week’s impact injuries. On what ended up being the Tennessee Titans’ final offensive play of the game, Levis was dragged to the turf awkwardly as he was being sacked for the seventh time in the Titans’ 19-16 overtime loss to the Houston Texans.
He suffered an ankle injury when his leg was pinned under a Texans’ defender, and the injury appeared to be serious because he was on the ground wincing in pain. But Levis was later seen jogging around before the game ended. Afterward, Levis said the injury wasn’t as bad as he originally thought.

2. Ja’Marr Chase, Bengals WR

The lone receiver among the impact injuries, Chase suffered a separated shoulder late in the fourth quarter and missed the remainder of the game in the Cincinnati Bengals’ 27-24 overtime victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Saturday. The Bengals said Sunday that Chase would be “day-to-day.” Chase caught 4 passes for 64 yards before departing, but fellow receivers Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd picked up the slack in his absence. Higgins caught a pair of TD passes, and Boyd hauled in a 44-yard pass from Jake Browning to set up the Bengals’ game-winning field goal in overtime. Chase is among the NFL’s best receivers, with 93 receptions for 1,156 yards and seven touchdowns, so his impact would be felt in a huge way if he were to miss any more game action.
Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

3. Zach Martin, Cowboys OG

As the lone offensive lineman among the impact injuries, Martin exited the game in the first quarter when he took a knee to the quad area in Dallas’ 31-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills. He went to the blue medical tent, where his knee was evaluated and found to be in good shape. He spent the rest of the game on the sidelines with heavy bandage around his thigh. Martin said after the game he was hopeful he could play next week in Miami. The Cowboys, who had their worst offensive game of the season Sunday, can ill afford to lose Martin, who’s among the NFL’s best offensive linemen as a six-time All-Pro.
Jeremy Reper-USA TODAY Sports

4. Keaton Mitchell, Ravens RB

Depending on the severity of the injury, Mitchell could be listed first among the impact injuries. Mitchell went down with an apparent knee injury as he was tackled in the fourth quarter of the Ravens’ 23-7 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Mitchell, who rushed for 73 yards on nine carries, was injured at the end of a 13-yard run. He was later carted to the locker room and didn’t return to the game. A rookie out of East Carolina, Mitchell has been productive since he was given his first opportunity to play in Week 9 and ran for 138 yards. His injury would be devastating to the Ravens, who’ve already been playing without J.K. Robbins, out for the season with Achilles tear suffered in Week 1.
Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

5. Zach Wilson, Jets QB

Wilson’s day ended in the second quarter when he was ruled out with a concussion in the New York Jets’ 30-0 loss to the Miami Dolphins. Wilson, who had a career game last week against Houston, was under constant attack from the moment the game started Sunday. He was sacked four times and hit seven times overall. He finished only 4-of-11 passing for 26 yards with one fumble before giving way to Trevor Siemian, who wasn’t much better as the Jets (5-9) generated a pathetic 103 yards of total offense in a game that saw them eliminated from playoff contention, making Wilson’s injury not as significant among the impact injuries.

Other injuries of note

D.J. Reader: The Bengals confirmed that the defensive lineman is out for the season with a torn quadriceps. Joel Bitonio: The Browns’ All-Pro tackle suffered a back injury and never returned to the game against the Chicago Bears. Randy Bullock: The Giants’ kicker was ruled out with a hamstring injury. Jimmie Ward: The Texans safety suffered a concussion and was ruled out of the game against Tennessee.
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