The NFL has been rocked by injuries this season - here are the 20 biggest stars who have gone down

Team: New England Patriots

Injured since: Preseason

How it happened: Edelman suffered a non-contact ACL tear while navigating through the Lions secondary in the third preseason game of the year. It spelled the end of his season, leaving Rob Gronkowski and Brandin Cooks as Tom Brady's only accomplished receivers.

Team: Miami Dolphins

Injured since: Preseason

How it happened: Less than a year after he eschewed surgery on his sprained left knee, Tannehill re-injured it during the preseason, this time suffering a partial tear of his ACL. The Dolphins went 10-6 last season, but after installing the veteran Jay Cutler as a stopgap, they have the worst offense in the league this year.

Team: Indianapolis Colts

Injured since: Before the preseason

How it happened: Luck underwent surgery for a torn labrum back in January and has yet to take a snap. He made a brief return to practice in October but was quickly shut down, ultimately landing on injured reserve. The Colts insist that continued rehab is the only way forward.

Team: Philadelphia Eagles

Injured since: Week 3

How it happened: Sproles missed a combined eight games in his first 11 years in the league, but he's about to match that total with this season alone. The Kansas State product suffered a broken arm and a torn ACL on the same play after he was tackled behind the line of scrimmage. Sproles turns 35 next June, so there's a distinct possibility that he has suited up for his final NFL game.

Team: Arizona Cardinals

Injured since: Week 7

How it happened: Talk about an unproductive drive: Palmer broke his left arm and threw an interception to Lamarcus Joyner of the Rams on the very same play. He'll be eligible to return on December 24, and given the way backup Drew Stanton has been playing, the Cardinals will be counting on it.

Team: Arizona Cardinals

Injured since: Week 1

How it happened: Johnson put a damper on a lot of fantasy football seasons when he went down with a dislocated wrist in his first game of the season. Over two months later, he seems intent on making it up to those fans. "People say it's unfortunate for me and for their fantasy team," he said, according to Sports Illustrated's Greg Bishop. "Hopefully it works out now for both of us."

Team: Philadelphia Eagles

Injured since: Week 7

How it happened: Hicks was a major contributor to the best Eagles defense in years before he ruptured his Achilles tendon during a game against the Washington Redskins. Philadelphia's unit is still a fearsome one, but not to the same extent.

Team: Minnesota Vikings

Injured since: Week 4

How it happened: As if being without two potential starting quarterbacks wasn't bad enough, Cook went down with a brutal non-contact ACL tear in just his fourth career game, dealing a big blow to the Vikings backfield. With averages of 88.5 yards on just 18.5 carries per game, he'll be among the most intriguing players in the league when he returns next fall.

Team: New England Patriots

Injured since: Week 7

How it happened: The Patriots defense has struggled this year, but Hightower, a six-year veteran with a firm grasp of the playbook, was a bright spot. Unfortunately, they lost the Alabama product to a torn pectoral muscle in Week 7, an injury that wound up being far more severe than it first appeared.

Team: Baltimore Ravens

Injured since: Week 2

How it happened: Yanda appeared in just two games before suffering a fractured ankle at the hands of Browns defensive lineman Danny Shelton. The injury robbed the Iowa product of a chance to earn a seventh consecutive Pro Bowl appearance.

Team: Chicago Bears

Injured since: Week 8

How it happened: Miller dislocated his left knee while trying to make an over-the-shoulder catch in the end zone. The injury was even more severe than initially thought, as he a suffered torn popliteal artery, bringing the possibility of amputation into play. Luckily, Miller responded well to surgery and is recovering, but his season is over.

Team: Minnesota Vikings

Injured since: Week 1

How it happened: Bradford played 15 games for the Vikings last season, but they couldn't have expected him to have three healthy years in a row – not with his history of knee maladies. The Oklahoma product was sidelined after he suffered yet another injury in Week 1. He made a brief return in Week 5 but was quickly removed. Soon after, he had his knee scoped and was placed on injured reserve.

Team: New York Giants

Injured since: Week 5

How it happened: Beckham wasn't the only Giants receiver to suffer an ankle injury this season — Marshall also went down in the game against the Chargers. He never developed a chemistry with Eli Manning, dropping a number of passes over five games. Before this year, the veteran was riding a streak of 11 consecutive seasons with at least 13 games played.

Team: New York Giants

Injured since: Week 5

How it happened: Beckham fractured his ankle after leaping to make a catch in a game against the Los Angeles Chargers. It was the same ankle he sprained during the preseason — not exactly a great look to the front office. It's been a rough year for the Giants so far, and at 1-7, it's probably too late to flip the script.

Team: Cleveland Browns

Injured since: Week 7

How it happened: Thomas was riding a streak of 10,363 consecutive snaps dating back to his rookie year when he tore his left triceps while grappling with the Titans defensive line. However, in a league where one injury can derail a career, the Browns are still behind their 10-time Pro Bowler, handing him a $3 million raise for the next two seasons.

Team: Kansas City Chiefs

Injured since: Week 1

How it happened: Berry was one of the first stars to go down this year, rupturing his Achilles tendon in the opening game of the season. The Tennessee product has earned All-Pro honors in each of his last three full seasons; without him, the Chiefs rank as the third-worst defense in the league on a per-play basis.

Team: Houston Texans

Injured since: Week 5

How it happened: Watt suffered a tibial plateau fracture during a game against the Kansas City Chiefs, spelling the end of his season. It was a non-contact injury, a worrisome sign from a player who's appeared in just eight games over the past two seasons. The three-time AP Defensive Player of the Year received a standing ovation as he was carted off the field.

Team: Houston Texans

Injured since: Week 9

How it happened: Watson tore his ACL during a Thursday practice, just seven games into one of the most memorable starts to a career in the history of the league. The Clemson product still leads the league in yards per pass attempt with 8.3.

Team: Green Bay Packers

Injured since: Week 6

How it happened: Rodgers' season ended with a big hit from Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr; soon after, the Packers announced that their franchise quarterback had suffered a broken collarbone and placed him on injured reserve. They haven't won a game since.

Team: Seattle Seahawks

Injured since: Week 10

How it happened: Sherman suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon while trying for an interception on a Cover 2 play, less than a year after he wrote a Players' Tribune post entitled "Why I Hate Thursday Night Football." He has never missed a game since he was drafted in 2011, but that streak will end next week.