Mid-December is a fun time in the NFL because so many games feel so magnified. Some teams are fighting for a playoff spot, others are fighting for a division crown, while a handful are eyeing the top seed in their conference and a first-round bye. Even the bottom-feeders are giving us a highly consequential game, at least as it pertains to the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
That’s what all of the talk should be about. While that is largely still the case, there’s a dark cloud hovering over the wider NFL discussion this week after Micah Parsons, one of the best defensive players in the game, and Patrick Mahomes, arguably the face of the league, both suffered season-ending knee injuries on Sunday. What adds to the misfortune of the injuries is the timing. ACL tears require a lengthy rehabilitation process, so the injuries occurring in December mean the impact isn’t just for this season — Parsons’ Green Bay Packers now face a playoff road without him — but rolls into 2026, too.
Fortunately, ACL tears aren’t what they once were. There are numerous examples of NFL players coming back successfully from a devastating ACL tear and having immediate, prolonged success. That’s where we begin this week’s What’s Trending in the NFL.
Bonus Five: Players to return from ACL tears
5. Jamaal Charles, Kansas City Chiefs, 2012: The real ones know how dangerous Charles was in his prime. Who’s the NFL’s career leader among running backs for yards per attempt, just ahead of Hall of Famer Jim Brown? That’s right, it’s Charles and his 5.4 yards per carry. His inclusion on this list shows that even a player whose game is predicated on speed can return strongly from a torn ACL. Charles broke out in 2010, averaging 6.4 yards per rush and totaling 1,467 yards. Charles tore his ACL in Week 2 of 2011. He returned in 2012 and posted a career-high 1,509 yards rushing in 16 games, earning second-team All-Pro honors. Charles may be one of the more underrated ACL return stories. You’ll see why here in a moment.
4. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals, 2021: After showing promise through his first nine NFL games, Joe Burrow tore his ACL and MCL, as well as other structural damage to his left knee, in Week 10 of his rookie year in 2020. Burrow was back in the lineup for the Bengals’ Week 1 game of the 2021 season. Aided by the addition of Ja’Marr Chase, Burrow passed for 4,611 yards and completed 70.4 percent of his passes en route to winning Comeback Player of the Year and leading Cincinnati to the Super Bowl.
3. Nick Bosa, San Francisco 49ers, 2021: Bosa is in a similar boat as Mahomes and Parsons, as he’s also looking to rebound in 2026 from a torn right ACL suffered in 2025, which happened in Week 3 this season. This isn’t Bosa’s first rodeo, either. He also tore an ACL in 2020. Five years ago, it was Bosa’s left knee that was injured in Week 2. The young 49ers star came back in 2021 and had 15.5 sacks, which stands as his second-highest single-season total. Bosa didn’t get Comeback Player of the Year consideration because quarterbacks Burrow and Dak Prescott were coming off significant season-ending injuries and received the bulk of the votes.
2. Tom Brady, New England Patriots, 2009: After his first MVP season, Brady tore an ACL and MCL in the opening game of the 2008 season. Brady’s rehab was further complicated because of an infection in the wound. Brady was back in the lineup for Week 1 of the 2009 season and won Comeback Player of the Year. His appearance on this list isn’t because of an impressive follow-up season but more so for the longevity. With the caveat that his game was never predicated on mobility, Brady played 14 more years after tearing up his left knee and never missed a game due to injury in his career, aside from 2008. He went on to finish in the top five in MVP voting seven times and win four more Super Bowls.
1. Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings, 2012: For numerous reasons, Peterson is the face of successful rebounds from an ACL tear. Peterson’s tear occurred at the end of the 2011 season, on Dec. 24 in Week 16. Peterson, a running back, tore an ACL and MCL. He had a strong rehab in the ensuing eight months and was back in the lineup for Week 1 of the 2012 season, which was impressive in its own right. At 27 years old, Peterson rushed for 2,097 yards, falling just 9 yards short of the single-season record. He won Offensive Player of the Year and was named the league’s MVP that year — still the only non-quarterback to win the award since 2007. He finished second in Comeback Player of the Year voting to Peyton Manning, who won it after returning from a season off due to a neck injury.
Not ranked: Frank Gore, University of Miami, 2002 and 2003: It was a wild couple of years for ACL luck in South Florida. After beating out Willis McGahee for the starting spot, running back Frank Gore tore his left ACL in a spring practice in 2002, which sidelined him for the season. In Gore’s absence, McGahee had a phenomenal year, setting numerous school records and leading the Miami Hurricanes to an undefeated season and No. 1 ranking. In the national championship game, McGahee tore an ACL, MCL and PCL in the fourth quarter of a game Miami lost in overtime. Gore reclaimed his status as the lead back in 2003 and got off to a good start. However, Gore tore his left ACL again in October, ending his collegiate career.
Despite two consecutive seasons with a torn ACL coming out of college, Gore was a third-round pick by the 49ers. He played 16 years in the NFL and finished with 16,000 rushing yards, good for third-most in league history behind Emmitt Smith and Walter Payton. For his part, McGahee also had a stellar NFL career, playing 10 years and finishing with 8,474 yards on the ground.
Frank Gore didn’t let two brutal college knee injuries stop him from becoming the NFL’s third-leading rusher in league history. (Jed Jacobsohn / Getty Images)
Road to Santa Clara
The five teams with the best chance at winning the Super Bowl.
5. Seattle Seahawks: A lot is riding on where the Seahawks finish in the regular season. The NFC West winner could very well earn the top seed and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. If Seattle can beat the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday and finish atop the conference, the Seahawks’ chances shoot up a few spots because they have a legitimate home-field advantage in the playoffs. Two of their three losses this season have come at home, but both were in the first five weeks of the season, before they kicked it into high gear. The defense is legit, and the offense is a multi-threat unit.
4. Buffalo Bills: As long as Josh Allen is healthy, the Bills have a chance. The wide receivers won’t scare anyone, but the Bills present an interesting challenge with their two tight ends. Of course, James Cook has to be involved and be a large factor, too. There’s no contender that has more of its hopes riding on a single player than the Bills do with Allen.
3. New England Patriots: The Patriots are still in control of the AFC East and finishing with the No. 2 seed in the AFC. Squandering a 21-0 lead is never great, but the Patriots have shown that they can hang with some of the better teams in the league, even though the sample size is small. The question now will be if they can be better for a few games in a row.
2. Denver Broncos: The Broncos have been a fascinating team on offense, with a handful of wide receivers flashing at different times throughout the year. Bo Nix is doing a great job of executing what is being asked of him. The biggest thing is that Pat Surtain II is back, and that defense is supremely talented. That, along with potentially playing at Mile High throughout the postseason, goes a long way in January.
1. Los Angeles Rams: The Rams were a scary team when it was Matthew Stafford slinging the rock to Puka Nacua and Davante Adams, with Kyren Williams running out of the backfield. Now, they’ve developed tight end Colby Parkinson as a threat in the passing game and brought along Blake Corum in the backfield. Tutu Atwell is back, and Tyler Higbee should return soon, too. As long as they manage some of their ailments appropriately these final few weeks, they should go into the playoffs as the Super Bowl favorite. Even though the Rams don’t have much of a home-field advantage, getting the top seed is still critical so that they can play in the dome throughout instead of having to go to Seattle or Philadelphia.
Not ranked: Green Bay Packers — Outside of the quarterback, Parsons was the most impactful player on the Packers. Having to navigate the postseason without the star pass rusher, after already losing Devonte Wyatt, is a tough ask. The offense is banged up as well, but Christian Watson and Josh Jacobs should be fine for the playoffs. It’s just hard to see that unit carrying the team in January. Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley is already a top head coaching candidate, but he could bolster it even more if he can maintain the effectiveness on that side of the ball.
Bottom five
The five teams with the best chance to land the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
5. Cleveland Browns: The Browns may be the most interesting team of the two- or three-win bunch. Even though the No. 1 pick is a long shot, they have something worth watching on both sides of the ball, with what Shedeur Sanders shows for the future, and if Myles Garrett can get the single-season sacks record.
Shedeur Sanders’ play makes the Browns intriguing even as they are in the mix for the top pick. (Michael Reaves / Getty Images)
4. New York Jets: Aside from picking up a third win a few weeks ago, the back half of the season has gone fairly well for the future. Not only have they stacked up losses, but so have the Indianapolis Colts, and the Jets own their next two first-round picks.
3. New York Giants: The Giants are not a good football team, but it’s hard to imagine any team being worse than the Las Vegas Raiders right now, which makes it hard to see the Giants coming out of Week 17 with a loss.
2. Tennessee Titans: It’s easy to see the Titans finish this season with two wins, so it may just come down to tiebreakers between them and the losers of this weekend’s game between the Giants and Raiders. The miracle win over the Cardinals earlier this season looms large.
1. Las Vegas Raiders: Entering last week’s game, the Raiders had the fewest number of players in the NFL on the physically unable to perform list or injured reserve. This is a pretty healthy team that is in the driver’s seat of landing the No. 1 pick. It’s been an epic failure from the very top.
Not ranked: Miami Dolphins — Through the first half of the season, all of the talk was about the job security of the head coach. A four-game winning streak went a long way in allowing McDaniel to stick around. Now, a messy offseason awaits. Did McDaniel do enough to just get through the year? Or will he be allowed to stick around beyond this season? Given the math, it feels impossible for the Dolphins to just part ways with Tua Tagovailoa, who was benched this week. A new regime could be enough to just flush everything from this season, but it sure seems like Tagovailoa has worn out his welcome in Miami with how things have gone, on and off the field.