Six starting quarterbacks have already missed action through the first two weeks. Caleb Williams from the Chicago Bears, Jayden Daniels from the Washington Commanders, and Jaxson Dart from the New York Giants were knocked out of their Week 2 games.
Three other quarterbacks missed time in Week 1. Tua Tagovailoa from the Atlanta Falcons sat out with an oblique injury, Sam Darnold exited the Seattle Seahawks’ season opener in the first quarter against the New England Patriots, and Kyler Murray suffered a concussion in his debut with the Minnesota Vikings.
Caleb Williams: Avoids Serious Injury
Bears exhaled when Williams was diagnosed with a Grade 1 hamstring injury, and it wasn’t something serious like a torn ACL or Achilles. Williams went down with a non-contact injury late in the fourth quarter on a first-and-goal situation against the Minnesota Vikings. Backup Tyson Bagent finished the game, but the Bears lost to their division rival.
Williams is week-to-week and not headed to the IR. Grade 1 hamstring injuries could take one to three weeks to heal. The Bears visit Green Bay to play the Packers in Week 5, so that could be when Williams potentially returns.
Bagent, a former Division II legend, is a capable backup and beloved by fans. He posted a 2-2 record as a starter back in 2022. However, the Bears got some bad news when Bagent entered concussion protocol. If he’s not cleared in time to play in Week 3, then third-string quarterback Case Keenum will take the field against the Eagles on Monday Night Football. Keenum has a 30-36 record as a starter, but hasn’t started a game since 2023.
The Bears saw their Super Bowl futures dip from +2000 to +3000 at BetMGM.
Jayden Daniels: Elbow Reprise
Daniels dislocated his left elbow just before halftime against the Dallas Cowboys. The Commanders trailed 17-10 at the time, but lost 37-20 with backup Marcus Mariota finishing the game.
Daniels dislocated the same elbow in Week 9 last season. He missed three games, re-injured it in Week 14, and was shut down for the rest of the season.
Daniels did not fracture his elbow, which is promising, but there’s no timeline for his return. Mariota posted a 2-6 record as a starter last season filling in for Daniels. He has an overall record of 36-46 as a starter.
Meanwhile, head coach Dan Quinn is the betting favorite to become the first head coach to lose his job.
The Commanders (0-2) saw their Super Bowl odds drop to +10000.
Jaxson Dart: Dunzo for the Season?
The Giants lost their quarterback on the opening drive against the L.A. Rams on Monday Night Football. After a mid-air collision, Jaxson Dart left the game with a knee injury. He didn’t blow out his ACL, but he is facing season-ending knee surgery to repair an MCL tear.
Jameis Winston played most of the game as Dart’s replacement, but the Giants failed to reach the endzone in a 28-6 loss. Winston has a 36-53 career record as a starter. Since becoming a backup QB in 2020, Winston is 8-11, including 0-2 last season starting for the Giants.
Sam Darnold: Returning Soon for Undefeated Champs
The defending champion Seahawks are 2-0 despite losing Darnold to a hip injury in the opening drive in Week 1. Drew Lock came off the bench to lead the Seahawks to victory against the New England Patriots. As a starter in Week 2, Lock guided the Seahawks to a divisional victory against the Cardinals in Arizona.
Since 2023, Lock is 2-1 as a starter for the Seahawks. He has a career starter record is 11-18.
Darnold could return to practice this week. The Seahawks play at the Washington Commanders in Week 3 and host the struggling L.A. Chargers in Week 4. If the Seahawks play it safe, Darnold could sit out until Week 5 in a divisional tilt against the San Francisco 49ers.
The Seahawks remain fourth overall on BetMGM’s futures board at +1000 odds to win the Super Bowl in consecutive seasons.
Kyler Murray: Expected to Start in Week 3, Carson Wentz 2-0 as Backup
Murray suffered a concussion in the first quarter of the season opener. Carson Wentz came off the bench to lead them to a 39-22 victory against the Green Bay Packers. With Wentz under center in Week 2, the Vikings won a rainy defensive battle to defeat the Chicago Bears.
Murray cleared concussion protocol and will start Week 4 against the Tampa Bay Bucs (0-2).
The Vikings (2-0) are one of four undefeated teams in the NFC and occupy first place in the NFC North. They emerged as the new betting favorite to win the division at +195 over the Lions (+205), Packers (+285), and Bears (+500).
The Vikings are the only team with an injured quarterback to see their Super Bowl odds improve, jumping from +5000 to +2800.
Michael Penix: Solution to Atlanta’s QB Nightmare?
How bad are the Falcons? They scored only 18 points this season and have yet to reach the red zone in their first two games.
With Tua Tagovailoa (oblique) and Michael Penix (knee) unavailable in Week 2, Cooper Rush started for a second game in a row. He fumbled on the first play against the Carolina Panthers, and then tossed an interception on the opening drive. Kevin Stefanski benched Rush after another interception in the third quarter.
Down 27-3, undrafted rookie Jack Strand made his debut. Strand was a star QB in Division II at Minnesota State-Moorhead, where he once threw seven touchdowns in a single game. Strand experienced a bitter “Welcome to the NFL!” moment when he threw a pick-six interception on his first passing attempt. The Panthers defeated the Falcons in a 34-3 blowout.
Penix, recovering from a season-ending ACL injury, was a full participant in practice last week yet remained sidelined. Penix is slated to start Week 3 against the Seahawks. Penix has a career record of 4-8 as a starter, including 3-6 last season.
Bounce Back: Patrick Mahomes and Daniel Jones
Despite a season-ending knee injury last December, Patrick Mahomes looks like his old self. He threw for 382 yards and three touchdowns in Week 2. Mahomes has a 63.5 percent completion rate with 566 yards, five passing touchdowns, and only one interception in two games. He also added a rushing TD. The undefeated Chiefs average 32 points per game, which is ranked #2 in the AFC and third overall. The Chiefs improved to +1200 odds to win the Super Bowl as the sixth overall favorite on the board.
Daniel Jones sustained a season-ending Achilles injury last December. He looked rusty in Week 1, but played better in Week 2. However, the Colts began the season 0-2 and have now lost nine games in a row dating back to last season. The Colts’ schedule eases up the next four weeks, including three games against winless teams: Houston Texans, Commanders (in London), and Tennessee Titans.
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