National Football League

Barkley, Burrow and Beckham among NFL's elite set to return from injury

Updated Aug. 9, 2021 8:21 p.m. ET

Their setbacks were only setups for their returns.

Not only does the 2021 NFL season mean it's football time again. It also means a clean bill of health for a few franchise faces.

Let's take a look at some of the NFL's brightest stars set to make their returns in 2021, beginning with the No. 1 pick from 2020.

Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback

Injury: Torn ACL and MCL, left knee
Games missed: Six

Why he was missed: The Bengals' offense was by no means spectacular with Burrow in the fold, averaging just 21.3 points per game. That's to be expected with a rookie QB playing for a team that drafted him first overall. But the Bengals' offense tanked after his injury, averaging just 16.3 PPG in the six games without Burrow. For context, only the two-win Jets scored fewer than 16.3 points per game in 2020.

Latest update: Burrow has been active and available for the Bengals in training camp, having fully recovered from his torn ACL and MCL, but he is still knocking the rust off after missing so much time.

Odell Beckham Jr., Cleveland Browns wide receiver

Injury: Torn ACL, left knee
Games missed: Nine

Why he was missed: Despite playing only seven games in 2020 — in reality, only six, seeing as he was injured on the Browns' first possession against the Bengals in Week 7 — OBJ was still Cleveland's most explosive player in 2020.

In seven games, Beckham scored four total touchdowns, three of which were at least 35 yards. And one of those three was a rushing touchdown. The rest of the Browns combined to have two offensive touchdowns of 35-plus yards in 2020 (Donovan Peoples-Jones had a 74-Yard TD catch from Baker Mayfield, and Nick Chubb had a 47-Yard TD rush).

Latest update: Beckham Jr. entered training camp fully cleared to participate after recovering from his torn ACL over the past nine months, and all signs point to him still being one of the most explosive players in the NFL.

Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys quarterback

Injury: Compound fracture and dislocation, right ankle
Games missed: 11

Why he was missed: With Prescott at the helm last season, the Cowboys were 2-3, but they were one of the most potent offensive teams in the NFL, averaging 32.6 points. To put that in perspective, the Green Bay Packers ended up leading the NFL in scoring in 2020, at 31.8 PPG. In 11 games without Prescott, the Cowboys' offense floundered, averaging just 21.1 PPG while going 4-7.

Latest update: Prescott appears to be fully healed from his ankle injury, but he is currently dealing with a shoulder strain that has held him out of recent practices and could put his status for Week 1 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in question.

Von Miller, Denver Broncos pass-rusher

Injury: Dislocated peroneal tendon
Games missed: 16

Why he was missed: In 2019, when Miller last played, the Broncos were tied for 12th in the NFL, with 79 tackles for loss, and they allowed just 225.6 passing yards per game, which ranked 11th in the NFL. Without Miller on the field in 2020, the Broncos recorded just 65 tackles for a loss while allowing 237.9 passing yards per game, ranking 16th in both categories.

Latest update: Miller has been completely cleared for football activities.

Nick Bosa, San Francisco 49ers defensive end

Injury: Torn ACL, left knee
Games missed: 14

Why he was missed: In 2019, when Bosa played all 16 regular-season games and three playoff games on his way to winning Defensive Rookie of the Year honors, the 49ers were fifth in the NFL with 48 sacks and sixth in takeaways with 27. In 2020, with Bosa missing 14 games, the team slipped to 22nd in sacks, with just 30, while falling to 21st in takeaways, with only 20.

Latest update: Bosa has been a full participant in training camp so far for the 49ers, and he is on track to start Week 1, according to head coach Kyle Shanahan.

Saquon Barkley, New York Giants running back

Injury: Torn ACL, right knee
Games missed: 14

Why he was missed: In Barkley's first two seasons in 2018 and '19, he crossed the 1,000-yard mark. In 2019, he had four games of at least 100 yards rushing. In 2020, the Giants had one 100-yard rusher all season, which was Wayne Gallman with 135 rushing yards in Week 13 at Seattle.

Latest update: Barkley has recently been cleared from the physically unable to perform list, making him a full participant for the Giants in training camp and placing him on track to potentially start Week 1.

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