Injuries and NFL football go hand in hand like Chocolate and Peanut Butter. They happen on a weekly basis in every game played during the season. Sometimes we hear about them during the game, sometimes we don't hear anything until days later.
Most injuries are minor. An ankle tweak here and a knee sprain there are reported all the time.
But every once and awhile, we'll see an injury so gruesome that it not only makes us cringe seeing it live, but it also gets ingrained in our memory forever. It also makes us remember that while the NFL is a game, it's also a deadly sport that could end a player's career at a moment's notice.
On that note, I give you the Top 10 Most Gruesome NFL Injuries. Keep in mind, many of these videos aren't for the squeamish. And while there are many more disturbing injuries, these are the ones that stick out the most.
Eric Wood vs. Jaguars
Bills OL Eric Wood suffered a compound fracture of the tibia and fibula against the Jags in Week 11 of the 2009 season.
Leon Washington vs. Raiders
Jets RB Leon Washington fractured his right fibula on this first carry in Week 7 and was lost for the rest of the 2009 season.
Darryl Stingley vs. Raiders
Think the preseason doesn't mean much? Don't tell former Patriots WR Darryl Stingley that. On August 12, 1978, in a preseason game against the Raiders, Stingley collided with Raiders DB Jack Tatum, breaking his fourth and fifth cervical vertebrae. Set to sign a new contract that would have made him one of the highest paid receivers in the NFL, Stingley lived out the rest of his days as a quadriplegic.
Napoleon McCallum vs. 49ers
Probably the most disturbing injury aside from Stingley. Raiders RB Napoleon McCallum faced the 49ers on Monday Night Football September 5, 1994. Ken Norton Jr. brought McCallum down, but McCallum's left cleat stuck in the ground. His knee twisted like a pretzel to the point where he suffered multiple injuries to his leg, including a complete hyperextension of his left knee, almost to a right angle. He also suffered a ruptured artery in his left knee, tore three ligaments, tore the calf and hamstring from the bone, and suffered nerve damage in the knee. McCallum's leg was close to being amputated had surgery not been successful.
Deon Butler vs. 49ers
Seahawks WR Deon Butler breaks his leg during the 2010 season against the 49ers.
Junior Seau vs. Bears
While many remember Junior Seau's suicide, I will always remember the leader on and off the field who played from 1990-2009. Despite dealing with several concussions throughout his career, this arm break Seau suffered in 2006 is something many will never forget.
Destry Wright vs. Cowboys
Video of this injury doesn't exist anywhere. None that I could find anyway. In fact, this photo was the only media shot taken of Steelers RB Destry Wright's leg. On July 30, 2000, Wright dislocated his right ankle and broke his right leg in a preseason game against the Cowboys.
DeSean Jackson vs. Falcons
It's one thing to see players get knocked out on replays, but to see it live (which I did) makes it even more cringe-worthy. Here is a vid of Eagles WR DeSean Jackson colliding with Falcons DB Dunta Robinson in 2010. The hit was so hard, it took several minutes for both players to get off the field.
Leonard Weaver vs. Packers
Just watching the video before I added it to this article made me cringe as to just how painful this must have felt while it happened. On his first carry of the 2010 season, RB/FB Leonard Weaver suffered a "very severe" torn ACL in his left knee, which required season-ending surgery. Weaver attempted to make a comeback after strenuous rehab, but eventually retired on April 22, 2013.
Joe Theismann vs. Giants
When you think of injuries and which one sticks out in most fans' minds, it's hard to discount Giants LB Lawrence Taylor breaking Redskins QB Joe Theismann's leg as THE MOST memorable injury in NFL history. The fact that it happened on Monday Night Football gave it even more attention. On November 18, 1985, Theismann suffered a comminuted compound leg fracture after Taylor's knee leaned into Theismann's lower right leg during a sack. The injury is memorable enough by the way it looked, but Taylor frantically calling and waving for help soon after he realized how much damage he did makes this injury all that much more memorable.