Top 10 NFL stories of 2020: 10-6

It's been a crazy year on and off the field, to put it lightly. As we flip the page on 2020, we reflect on the most memorable NFL stories from the last 12 months.

10-6 | 5-1

10. Chargers doc punctures Taylor's lung

It was a little strange when Tyrod Taylor was nowhere to be found before kickoff against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 2, but it wasn't anything you would call suspicious. The Los Angeles Chargers said postgame that Taylor had been taken to hospital with breathing difficulties and later listed him week-to-week with a chest injury.

Little did we know at the time, Taylor's breathing issues stemmed from a pregame injection from a Chargers doctor who inadvertently punctured the quarterback's lung. The doctor meant to administer a painkiller that would help Taylor play through cracked ribs.

Harry How / Getty Images Sport / Getty

In his absence, rookie Justin Herbert pushed the defending champion Chiefs to overtime, throwing for 311 yards and scoring two touchdowns in a surprise debut. By the time Taylor returned, Herbert had seized the starting job for good.

Hebert, who was the third quarterback taken in the 2020 draft, went on to break the NFL rookie record for touchdown passes, making him a top contender for the Offensive Rookie of the Year award. Taylor, meanwhile, didn't attempt another pass the rest of the year.

9. Every Night Football

The NFL's media package includes weekly games on Sunday, Monday, and Thursday, along with a few Saturday contests toward the end of the year. But if you were ever in the mood for some action on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Friday, 2020 was the season for you.

The schedule oddities commenced in October when a COVID-19 outbreak within the Tennessee Titans prompted the NFL to postpone its Week 5 contest versus the Buffalo Bills to the following Tuesday. The league hadn't staged a Tuesday affair since 2010 when a blizzard delayed the Minnesota Vikings and Philadelphia Eagles for a couple days.

Frederick Breedon / Getty Images Sport / Getty

In December, the Baltimore Ravens faced the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first Wednesday game since 1948 because of their own COVID-19 spread. Later, the New Orleans Saints and Minnesota Vikings squared off on Christmas Day, which fell on a Friday. With that, the NFL hosted a game on every day of the week for the first time ever.

8. Jets lose out on 2021 No. 1 pick

For a while, it looked like the New York Jets were doing everything in their power to get the No. 1 pick in 2021. Gang Green traded their best player, Jamal Adams, before the season, released former All-Pro running back Le'Veon Bell in October, and fought off calls to fire beleaguered head coach Adam Gase as losses piled up.

By the time Week 15 rolled around, the winless Jets were clear favorites to land the top selection. Presumably, they had plans to draft Trevor Lawrence, the most heralded quarterback prospect since Andrew Luck. The Jets, after all, have seemingly been on the hunt for a franchise quarterback since the Ice Age.

Michael Reaves / Getty Images Sport / Getty

So nobody expected the Jets to put up much of a fight when they visited the Los Angeles Rams on Dec. 20. The Rams were 9-4, boasted one of the league's top defenses, and had won four of their last five. But the Jets, who two weeks earlier lost on a last-second deep ball to the Las Vegas Raiders, raced out to a 20-3 lead, then hung on for an unfathomable 23-20 win as 17-point underdogs.

The Jets celebrated like they were going to the Super Bowl, but many of their fans were too distraught about potentially losing Lawrence to join in on the fun. New York pulled off another upset the next week, ensuring the Jacksonville Jaguars would get the No. 1 pick and making the pain of the Jets' 0-13 start feel all for naught.

7. Dak plays on franchise tag

Quarterbacks are paid at a premium, so it's rare for someone as established as Dak Prescott not to get the contract he wants. It's even rarer that the Dallas Cowboys - often criticized for being too lenient in negotiations with their stars - refuse to cave to their most valuable player.

But for a second straight offseason, Prescott and the Cowboys failed to strike a long-term agreement. Immediately, speculation swelled that the Cowboys weren't sold on Prescott or that Prescott simply didn't want to play in Dallas. It didn't help that Prescott's brother hinted at a future change in scenery once the deadline passed for franchise-tagged players to ink multi-year deals.

There is a reason I was never a @dallascowboys fan growing up or before they drafted @dak after today, who knows how much longer I'll be cheering for them.

- Tad Prescott (@86Prescott) July 15, 2020

Prescott wound up signing his tender and reporting to training camp on time, set to play on a one-year, $31.4-million contract before potentially hitting free agency for the first time. The 27-year-old insisted he wasn't upset about the contract talks and chalked up the stalemate to good, old-fashioned business.

As the season got underway, attention turned back to the field, where Prescott was off to a torrid start. He was on pace for a career year through the first quarter of the schedule, but then disaster struck. In Week 5, Prescott suffered a broken ankle that required season-ending surgery and thrust his bargaining power and future with the Cowboys into uncertain waters. He was carted off the field in tears while those in attendance at AT&T Stadium saluted him with a roaring ovation.

6. Alex Smith comeback

The fact that Alex Smith was on The Washington Football Team's opening-day roster could be classified as a miracle. The former No. 1 pick underwent 17 surgeries after breaking his right leg in November 2018, and a post-operation infection after the first procedure put his life at risk and nearly led to amputation.

In September 2019, video of Smith walking without crutches surfaced on social media, though the idea of him returning to professional football still seemed far-fetched. Smith was adamant he wanted to continue his career, but few believed it was possible.

Greg Fiume / Getty Images Sport / Getty

In July, Smith announced a breakthrough: Doctors had cleared him for football activities just in time for training camp. The 36-year-old began the season on the bench, but after Dwayne Haskins was benched and Kyle Allen got injured, he found himself back in the huddle.

Smith made his season debut in Week 5 against the Rams with his family in the stands. He finished 9-for-17 for 37 yards in his first game in 693 days. He made his first start five weeks later, throwing for 390 yards in a loss to the Detroit Lions. He then guided Washington to a four-game winning streak and all but locked up the Comeback Player of the Year award.

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