Early-season QB injuries change NFL landscape
Photo Credit: The Athletic NFL
Just two weeks into the new NFL season, and the injury bug has already taken out some of the league’s top young quarterbacks. From former Heisman winners to a potential Rookie of the Year candidate, four starting QBs have popped up on the injury report, with some worse than others.
Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow suffered, by far, the worst injury of the four. The 28-year-old sustained a lower leg injury after taking a sack on his team’s first drive of the second quarter in Sunday’s Week 2 home win against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The former Heisman Trophy winner has had his fair share of brutal injuries during his six-year NFL career. 10 games into his rookie season in 2020, Burrow tore his ACL, MCL, and PCL against the Washington Commanders. Burrow would miss the second half of the 2023 season after another Week 11 injury, this time tearing a ligament in his right wrist.
According to multiple reports, Burrow was diagnosed with turf toe following his injury last Sunday. The former LSU and Ohio State QB will undergo surgery that will keep him out for a minimum of three months, with a chance to return for the final few weeks of the season.
“There’s not a lot we can do right now for Joe other than I feel terrible for him because he put all the work in,” said Bengals head coach Zac Taylor. “For him to have to go through this is the worst part of it. But as a football team, we just have to continue to move forward.”
Bengals backup QB Jake Browning is no stranger to filling in for Burrow for long periods of time. Browning started the final seven games of the 2023 season following Burrow’s wrist injury. He would post a 4-3 record while throwing for 1,936 yards, 12 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. The 29-year-old backup replaced Burrow in the second quarter against the Jaguars, leading the Bengals to a comeback win. Browning threw for two touchdowns and rushed for the game-winning score with 18 seconds left, but did throw three interceptions on 32 pass attempts.
Burrow was a popular pick to win MVP this season, with many thinking the Bengals would return to the playoffs this season and compete for a Super Bowl. The dynamic of their season changes now. The Bengals clearly have faith in Browning, but is it enough for management to stick with the career backup, knowing the team’s expectations?
The Bengals signed QBs Sean Clifford and Mike White to the practice squad on Tuesday, giving the organization additional depth at the most important position in the sport. Brett Rypien, who hasn’t featured in an NFL game since starting once for the Rams in the 2023 season, is currently Browning’s backup. There may be other suitable options available on the trade market if the Bengals want to explore a player with significantly more starting experience. Atlanta Falcons backup QB Kirk Cousins and New York Giants third-string QB Jameis Winston have 249 combined career starts, and both could be had for the right price.
However, head coach Zac Taylor has stated the team’s intent to ride with Browning until Burrow returns.
“The point that you turn to now is [to be] excited for Jake to go out there and play,” Zac Taylor said on Monday. “He’s earned the right to be in the spotlight. Guys will rally behind him, and we’ll get Jake’s best.”
The Bengals’ Week 3 opponent has their own injury issues at QB.
Second-year pro and first-year starter J.J. McCarthy suffered a high ankle sprain in Sunday night’s low-scoring loss to the Falcons. McCarthy rolled his ankle in the third quarter, but continued playing. He arrived at the facility in pain on Monday morning. He has not been placed on injured reserve, but could miss anywhere from two to four weeks.
“Obviously tough news there,” said Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell. “So, we’ve got our work cut out for us.
“It is crushing because you just want it to be a daily process of activating every aspect of the development and learning.”
Like Burrow, McCarthy dealt with a significant injury during his rookie season. The former 10th-overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft missed his entire rookie campaign after tearing the meniscus in his right knee in his preseason debut. McCarthy had two surgeries to rectify the injury.
The 22-year-old made his NFL debut in a Week 1 Monday night win at the Chicago Bears. After a slow start, McCarthy threw for two touchdowns and ran for one in the fourth quarter of a 27-24 comeback win. However, Week 2 wasn’t so kind to the former Michigan QB. Outside of the injury, McCarthy had 158 passing yards with 11 completions and two interceptions in a 22-6 home loss.
The Vikings are preparing journeyman Carson Wentz to start against the Bengals, and likely the few games that follow. After a slew of major injuries derailed his career as a starter, Wentz has spent the last two full seasons as a backup. In 2023, he was the backup for future Hall of Fame QB Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams. Wentz started one game that season, throwing for 163 yards and two touchdowns in a one-point win over the San Francisco 49ers. The 32-year-old was Patrick Mahomes’ backup last season, starting one game for the Chiefs, a shutout loss to the Broncos, where he threw for under 100 yards.
“He [ Carson Wentz] was really impressive last week,” O’Connell said. “Kind of stepping in, you felt the better presence in command. He’s really smart, a guy that’s played a lot of football, and he’s been able to get himself to a place where he’s felt very comfortable these past two weeks had he needed to go in the football game. And now he’ll get a week of preparation to get ready to go play.”
With McCarthy being sidelined for a few weeks, the Vikings will plan to stick with Wentz until their young passer returns. Along with rookie QB Max Brosmer, the Vikings added Desmond Ridder, who spent training camp with the Bengals and has 18 career starts since 2022. Following a home game against the Bengals, the Vikings will travel to Europe for two games: one in Dublin, Ireland, in Week 4, and another in London, England, in Week 5. Wentz will likely get the nod in the NFL Dublin Game.
Another young QB who made his first few starts for his new team this season is Justin Fields. Signed to a two-year contract by the New York Jets this offseason, Fields was given the opportunity to lead first-year head coach Aaron Glenn’s team. Drafted 11th overall by the Bears in 2021, Fields has yet to reach the level he was expected to as a high pick. After three down years as a starter for the Bears, Fields impressed in limited playing time with the Pittsburgh Steelers last year. Filling in for the injured Russell Wilson, Fields went 4-2 in six starts. He propelled those performances into a contract with the Jets.
The 26-year-old looked great in his Week 1 debut with the Jets. Fields had 218 passing yards and one passing touchdown, while adding 48 rushing yards and two rushing scores. Despite his strong play, the Jets blew a nine-point lead in the fourth quarter and lost 34-32 to the Steelers.
Like McCarthy, after an impressive Week 1, Fields struggled in Week 2. Despite being his team’s leading rusher with 49 yards on five carries, Fields had three completions on 11 pass attempts for 27 yards. Down 30-3 to the Buffalo Bills in the fourth quarter, Fields took a heavy hit from edge rusher Joey Bosa, hitting his head on the hard MetLife Stadium turf. Fields would leave the game and be replaced by Tyrod Taylor.
Fields, who is still in the NFL’s concussion protocol, has been ruled out for the Jets’ Week 3 visit to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Taylor, who is in his second season as the team’s backup, will get the start. The 36-year-old has spent the majority of his career as a backup, with 58 starts in 95 games. Taylor’s last start came in 2023 with the New York Giants. In relief of Fields on Sunday afternoon, Taylor was 7-for-11 for 56 passing yards and one touchdown. He also ran three times for 21 yards.
“If Justin can’t play, then Tyrod would be the guy,” said Aaron Glenn on Monday. “We’d build a plan that’s suitable for him.”
The Jets, who had so much promise through the first three quarters of Week 1, will now look to avoid falling to 0-3 for the first time since 2021.
Another QB injury concern hit the news on Monday morning, with Commanders’ young star passer Jayden Daniels being listed by his head coach, Dan Quinn, as day-to-day. According to reports, Daniels has a minor left knee sprain that he suffered in Thursday night’s loss to the Green Bay Packers. An MRI showed no major damage after the QB was hit on the knee by a helmet in the fourth quarter.
“We know how important he is,” said Dan Quinn.
The 24-year-old has put the Commanders back on the map since being drafted by them second overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. Daniels won the NFL AP Offensive Rookie of the Year last season and led his team to an NFC Conference Championship Game appearance. Expectations were much higher for Daniels going into his sophomore campaign.
The former Heisman Trophy winner is 1-1 this season, and has thrown for 433 yards and three touchdowns. His health will be a huge factor in whether the Commanders can replicate or improve upon the success they had in 2024.
Daniels’ status is up in the air for Sunday’s home game against the Las Vegas Raiders. Quinn wants to be cautious with his second-year starter and not rush him back into action, risking further injury.
“It starts off first on the strength, the movements,” Quinn said. “Then on the field, change direction, the pivoting, the moving, all of those would be the things to go. So, we’ll just take it as it goes through the week, but he’d have to see all of the steps along this week to hit those marks. The speed, the stopping, the change of direction, all of it.”
If Daniels can’t play Sunday, backup QB Marcus Mariota would get the start against his former team. Mariota is in his second season with the Commanders. While he didn’t start a game last year, he came on for an injured Daniels twice, throwing for 366 yards and four touchdowns.
Mariota’s last NFL start came in Week 13 of the 2022 season when he was playing for the Falcons. The 31-year-old has started 74 of the 93 games he’s played in. Mariota spent the 2020 and 2021 seasons with the Raiders, appearing in 11 games but registering no starts. Before joining the Commanders as a free agent, the former second-overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft was a backup QB for the Philadelphia Eagles.
“We’ll take it all the way to Friday,” Quinn said. “And then have a good idea of where we’re at. This is an elite competitor. Our confidence in him is through the roof.”
