QB Injuries Wreaking Havoc Across the NFL

It’s been a rough first couple of weeks for starting quarterbacks in the NFL.

No fewer than six starting quarterbacks have gone down with injury and been knocked out of contests. We’ve already seen one team reduced to their third and fourth-string quarterback. Another could potentially play their third-string quarterback this week if things don’t break in their favor.

Week 1 Quarterback Injuries

With that said, let’s take a look at who proved unable to stay not only upright, but on the field in the first two weeks of the season.

Sam Darnold, Seahawks

Darnold was knocked out in the opening quarter against the Patriots in a Super Bowl rematch with a hip injury. Drew Lock engineered a comeback over New England in the opener at home. He followed that up with a solid showing in a 31-7 romp over Arizona last week to get the Seahawks to 2-0.

According to coach Mike MacDonald, Darnold is on “a good track” to return to action this Sunday against Washington. If he can’t go, at least the Seahawks know they have a guy in Lock that can at least hold down the fort. Meanwhile, Jalen Milroe is still lingering in the background as the third QB.

Kyler Murray, Vikings

Murray was signed as a free agent in the offseason on a one-year deal after Arizona cut him loose. His debut with the Vikings was short-lived as he suffered a concussion after getting lit up on a scramble against the Packers. He played just 11 snaps, going three of five for 18 yards with an interception, and missed last week against the Bears.

The good news for Vikings fans is that Minnesota is 2-0, thanks to Carson Wentz rallying them to a win over Green Bay in the opener. The Vikings then won a 9-3 rock fight in a soggy Soldier Field over the Bears last week. Murray returns to action this week against Tampa Bay, though the running back position is now the problem.

Jordan Mason is on injured reserve after surgery on a broken thumb. In addition, Aaron Jones Sr. (knee) and DeeJay Dallas (toe) are both questionable at this point, leaving Demond Claiborne the lone healthy back on the active roster.

Tua Tagovailoa/Michael Penix Jr., Falcons

Tua Tagovailoa was named the starter but suffered an oblique injury in practice that knocked him out of action. Michael Penix Jr. was recovering from knee surgery and has had three ACL reconstructions. That left third-stringer Cooper Rush to run the offense, and even he suffered back spasms during practice ahead of the opener against Pittsburgh.

He’s been awful, completing 22 of 39 passes for 229 yards with one touchdown and four picks. Fourth-stringer Jack Strand saw action against Carolina, going eight of 15 for 59 yards with a pick-six of his own. Falcons QBs have thrown more pick-sixes (two) than the offense scored touchdowns (one) in the first two games.

It was announced that Penix Jr. has been cleared to return to action. He’s expected to get the start under center Thursday night as the Falcons take on the Packers. In addition, Tagovailoa returned to practice at full capacity Tuesday. That means the top two quarterbacks on the depth chart for the Falcons are active this week. Whether that leads to any kind of offensive success for Atlanta at this stage remains to be seen. However, anything should be an improvement over what we’ve seen from the first two weeks of the year.

Week 2 Quarterback Injuries

Jayden Daniels, Commanders

Remember last season, when the Commanders left Jayden Daniels out there in an unwinnable game to get knocked around, and it ended up curtailing his season? The hope was that he’d come back this year and be healthy. After a mediocre showing in the opener against Philadelphia, he was doing damage to the Cowboys in week 2.

Right before the half, Daniels was stepped on by left guard Chris Paul and tried bracing himself with his left hand, bending his elbow back. He suffered a dislocated elbow in the process and underwent imaging earlier this week. Daniels suffered a similar injury last season against Seattle and missed four games. He currently has no timetable to return. Meanwhile, Marcus Mariota is the starting QB.

Caleb Williams/Tyson Bagent, Bears

One week after scoring 59 points in a win over Carolina, the Bears offense was limited to three in a 9-3 defeat at a soggy Soldier Field Sunday afternoon. Starting quarterback Caleb Williams was carted off the field in the fourth quarter with a hamstring injury that he suffered on a sack with under eight minutes to play. The injury has been determined to be a hamstring strain. He is considered week-to-week.

In addition, backup quarterback Tyson Bagent, who finished Sunday’s game, was placed in the concussion protocol on Tuesday, putting his status for this game in doubt as well. If neither Williams or Bagent suits up, the Bears will turn to third-string quarterback Case Keenum. He is currently the only healthy QB on the active roster.

Jaxson Dart, Giants

Adding to the list of quarterback injuries this week was a major blow on Monday Night Football. Jaxson Dart of the Giants sustained a knee injury in the opening quarter and did not return. While early reports said Dart had avoided a major injury, reports on Tuesday were less favorable.

John Harbaugh stated Wednesday that Dart was out for the regular season but hoped he could return for the postseason. That means that Jameis Winston takes over as the starter and the Giants have to hope a full week of practice has him better prepared.

Week 3 of the NFL slate starts tonight with the Atlanta Falcons and the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Hopefully, the starting quarterback injury train slows down going forward.