Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson, and Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely are just a few of the notable players who have missed significant time at the start of training camp after either suffering or reaggravating an injury.
While camp is where the bulk of offseason injuries occur, the preseason can also be a pitfall for star players to find themselves on the injury list.
So when Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid announced on Thursday that star quarterback Patrick Mahomes would not only start the team's preseason opener against the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday but he'd also play the entire first quarter, it likely made plenty of Chiefs fans a little nervous.
"The quarterbacks...they'll each get a quarter," Reid stated, via Chiefs Digest. "The first one will be Pat, the second one (will be Gardner) Minshew, then (Bailey) Zappe, then Chris (Oladokun) at the end there."
There have been plenty of significant QB injuries during the preseason over the last several years.
Both Tony Romo and Teddy Bridgewater suffered season-ending injuries in 2016, and just last season, J.J. McCarthy was lost for his entire rookie year after tearing the meniscus in his right knee.
But given Mahomes has only gone up against his own defensive coordinator and defensive backs, the two-time MVP told reporters he's actually excited about getting to play against the Cardinals.
"I don't necessarily look forward to getting hit, like I always like getting hit once, but it's still a shock," Mahomes said, via Chiefs Digest. "But going up against (Steve Spagnuolo) is always tough, but it'll be a good defense we're going up against. They have a great scheme and a great coach, so I'm just excited to see where we're at, hopefully get a couple of series in and play some good football."
Saturday's matchup will be Mahomes' first action since the Chiefs' heartbreaking 40-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX.
That game was one of the worst performances of Mahomes' career. He completed just 6 of 14 passes for 33 yards with two interceptions and a passer rating of 10.2.
So while many see Mahomes playing significant time during the preseason as a great risk, he actually views it as the first step to improving on all the areas he lacked last season.
"There's stuff we've got to get better at," Mahomes recently told USA Today. "Especially myself. There's plays on the football field that I didn't make last year, that I've made in previous years.
"... I've got to be better at executing whenever the shots are there, making those throws. Because that's going to alleviate pressure on our defense and make them play more free and make the team play more free."
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