The 2017 NFL season ended in spectacular fashion. Unfortunately, there was a multitude of notable players throughout the league who were unable to see it through to the end.

The NFL suffered a number of season-ending injuries to some of its biggest star players. However, the most prominent injury on record this year was the number ACL tears that took place.

According to ACL Recovery Club, a total of 51 players had their seasons cut short by said injury in 2017:

The NFL saw 51 torn ACLs this season. It is the most since 2013 when the NFL had 63 players tear an ACL. It is three more than last season.

Although it is not the biggest number recorded, ACL injuries are starting to become more commonplace in today’s NFL and other major sports as well. It goes without saying that professional athletes are bigger, stronger, and faster than they ever were. As a result, they have become even more susceptible to critical injuries.

The NFL has done what it can to help reduce the number of concussions players have sustained over the past several years by essentially dubbing all forms of helmet-to-helmet contact as penalties. Unfortunately, there are very few precautions one could take to prevent ACL injuries given the unpredictability of fast-paced sports.

The league’s new rules have already made it challenging enough for defenders to get off a clean hit without being penalized. Some players have even gone on record saying they would rather be hit up top than down low due to the chances of sustaining a severe injury that could keep them out for a longer period of time.