NFL Hit Hard by Season-Ending Injuries to Patrick Mahomes and Micah Parsons - But History Offers Hope
Week 15 of the NFL season delivered a brutal blow to two of the league’s biggest stars - and their respective teams’ playoff hopes - as both Patrick Mahomes and Micah Parsons suffered torn ACLs in their Sunday matchups. The injuries are season-ending, no question. But if history tells us anything, it’s that a comeback - even a dominant one - is very much in play.
Let’s start in Kansas City, where Mahomes went down trying to make something happen in a must-win game. While extending a play, the Chiefs quarterback was rolled up on his left leg by a defender.
He immediately grabbed at his knee and stayed down, clearly in pain. Mahomes had to be helped off the field and didn’t return.
Gardner Minshew took over under center, but the damage was already done - both to the scoreboard and to the Chiefs’ season outlook. Mahomes has since undergone surgery to repair not just his ACL, but his LCL as well.
Up in Green Bay, the Packers’ defense took a major hit when Micah Parsons suffered a similar fate. Late in the third quarter against the Broncos, Parsons was trying to contain rookie quarterback Bo Nix when he planted awkwardly on his left leg.
He went down instantly, clutching his knee. Trainers helped him off the field, and he didn’t return.
An MRI confirmed the worst: a torn ACL.
These are the kinds of injuries that can derail a season. But they don’t have to define a career. In fact, the NFL has seen a number of high-profile players bounce back from ACL tears - and in some cases, come back even stronger.
Comeback Blueprints: NFL Stars Who Beat the ACL Bug
Tom Brady (2008)
Brady’s ACL tear came just one year after leading the Patriots to a perfect regular season.
In Week 1 of the 2008 campaign, Bernard Pollard hit him low in the pocket, ending Brady’s season before it ever really began. But the GOAT didn’t stay down for long.
By 2009, he was back under center, throwing for 4,398 yards and 28 touchdowns. New England went 10-6 and made the playoffs.
It wasn’t Brady’s best statistical season, but it was a clear sign that he was still Tom Brady - and far from done.
Adrian Peterson (2011)
Peterson’s recovery is the stuff of legend.
After tearing his ACL and MCL on Christmas Eve in 2011, he returned just eight months later and nearly broke the single-season rushing record. In 2012, he racked up 2,097 rushing yards - just nine shy of Eric Dickerson’s all-time mark.
He had multiple 200-yard games that year and won the league MVP. If you’re looking for an example of what’s possible post-ACL, Peterson is the gold standard.
Joe Burrow (2020)
Burrow’s rookie season ended abruptly when he tore his ACL and MCL, along with additional damage to his PCL and meniscus.
It was a brutal injury for a young quarterback trying to find his footing. But in 2021, he came back with a vengeance.
Burrow led the NFL in completion percentage (70.4%), threw for over 4,600 yards and 34 touchdowns, and took the Bengals all the way to Super Bowl LVI. Not bad for a guy coming off major knee surgery.
Saquon Barkley (2020)
Barkley’s torn ACL came early in the 2020 season, just as he was entering what many expected to be a breakout year.
He returned in 2021, but the road wasn’t easy. He dealt with an ankle injury and a bout with COVID-19, which limited his production to 593 rushing yards and four total touchdowns.
Still, the fact that he was back on the field and contributing was a win in itself. Barkley would go on to find his stride again in later seasons.
Nick Bosa (2020)
Bosa tore his ACL in Week 2 of the 2020 season after a dominant rookie campaign that earned him Defensive Rookie of the Year honors.
He didn’t just return in 2021 - he exploded. Bosa racked up 15.5 sacks, 21 tackles for loss, and four forced fumbles.
He followed that with an even bigger 2022, winning Defensive Player of the Year. His comeback wasn’t just successful - it was elite.
Breece Hall (2022)
Hall was off to a hot start in his rookie year before tearing his ACL and meniscus just seven games in.
He was averaging 5.8 yards per carry and looked like a future star. Fast forward to 2023, and Hall delivered on that promise.
He played all 17 games, set career highs in rushing and receiving, and scored nine total touchdowns. His recovery was not only swift - it was productive.
What This Means for Mahomes and Parsons
For Mahomes and Parsons, the road ahead won’t be easy - but it’s one that’s been traveled successfully before. Mahomes, one of the most dynamic quarterbacks in NFL history, has the work ethic, medical support, and football IQ to make a full recovery. Parsons, a freak athlete and the engine of Green Bay’s defense, has already shown he’s built different.
The timing of the injuries - late in the season - means both players will be racing the clock to be ready for Week 1 next year. But given the track record of NFL stars who’ve come back strong, there’s reason for optimism in both Kansas City and Green Bay.
Injuries like these are gut punches. But in today’s NFL, they’re no longer career-defining. If anything, they’re just another chapter in what could still be all-time great careers.