Analysis
12/28/22
3 min read
NFL All-Iron Man Team of 2022
Injuries are an inevitable consequence due to the physical nature of the game, yet some athletes evade the injury bug play after play. These players make up our 2022 All-Iron Man Team.
One player will be listed at each position with the number of plays they have participated in. A player was eliminated from consideration if they were listed on the injury report during the season or appeared to sustain an injury during a game, identified by one of our scouts. Lastly, we’ll share some insights into trends that were identified during this investigation.
*Total Plays is the number of plays that a player has been on the field, including snaps at other positions and participation snaps on special teams. The number within parenthesis is the most total plays a player participated in at the same position listed on our depth chart.
2022 All-Iron Man Team
| Player | Team | Position | Total Plays |
| Malik Willis | Titans | QB | 211 (1057) |
| James Cook | Bills | RB | 236 (807) |
| Tim Jones | Jaguars | WR | 270 (997) |
| Parker Hesse | Falcons | TE | 760 (930) |
| Zander Horvath | Chargers | FB | 355 (685) |
| Charles Cross | Seahawks | OT | 1010 (1108) |
| Ed Ingram | Vikings | OG | 1108 (1108) |
| Cordell Volson | Bengals | OG | 1108 (1108) |
| Creed Humphrey | Chiefs | C | 1104 (1104) |
| Michael Hoecht | Rams | DT | 600 (1014) |
| George Karlaftis | Chiefs | DE | 711 (1046) |
| Troy Andersen | Falcons | LB | 615 (1091) |
| Jalen Pitre | Texans | S | 986 (1169) |
| Michael Jackson Sr. | Seahawks | CB | 1021 (1109) |
| Tyler Bass | Bills | PK | 162 (172) |
| Jack Fox | Lions | P | 170 (189) |
| JJ Jansen | Panthers | LS | 135 (144) |
Offensive linemen reign supreme at the top of this list. In fact, eight of the top 10 players that populated from our query were offensive linemen. You’ll also notice the top three players also participated in the most plays. Buccaneers guard Shaq Mason also accumulated 1,108 plays but has injury tags associated with him. Chiefs center Creed Humphrey is alone at the top for the center position and has a 21-snap advantage over the next-closest player.
The next two position groups to top the All-Iron Man list were defensive backs. Seahawks cornerback Michael Jackson Sr. ranked sixth overall with his 1,021 plays. That feat is even more impressive when you consider the next cornerback without an injury ranked outside the top 50 of all cornerbacks in total plays at 669 plays. Texans safety Jalen Pitre ranked 23rd in total plays amongst safeties. The gap between he and the next safety without an injury was not as large as the cornerback position, as the runner-up ranked 30th overall.
It is notable that the three players at wide receiver, running back, and quarterback are primary backups playing complementary roles. It demonstrates how difficult it is to accumulate many plays without appearing injured on the field or ending up on the injury report during the week.
Oddly enough, the running back who has played the most snaps so far this season is New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley, who deserves credit for staying on the field this year after suffering various injuries the past two seasons.
James Rodriguez PT, DPT contributed to this report.
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