The 2026 NFL season has been marked by an unusual number of quarterback injuries within the first two weeks, significantly altering the landscape for several teams. Young, promising quarterbacks such as Caleb Williams of the Chicago Bears, Jayden Daniels of the Washington Commanders, and Jaxson Dart of the New York Giants all sustained injuries in Week 2, joining Kyler Murray of the Minnesota Vikings and Sam Darnold of the Seattle Seahawks who were hurt in Week 1. All five are former first-round draft picks under 30 years old, highlighting a trend of injuries affecting the league's emerging talent.
The injuries are forcing many teams to rely on backup quarterbacks. Tyler Bagent is now under center for the Bears, Jameis Winston for the Giants, and Marcus Mariota for the Commanders. The Vikings, despite losing Murray to a concussion in Week 1, are 2-0 with Carson Wentz, and Murray is expected to start in Week 3. Similarly, the Seahawks are 2-0 with Drew Lock filling in for Darnold, who is expected to return to practice soon. The Atlanta Falcons also saw their starting quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, sidelined before Week 1 due to a back injury, with Michael Penix Jr. also recovering from a torn ACL.
This early season rash of injuries has led to a near-record number of quarterbacks seeing playing time. According to ESPN, 38 different quarterbacks have thrown at least five passes through the first two weeks, the most since 2021. Sport & State reported 41 different quarterbacks attempting a pass, second only to 2005 through two weeks. While none have been ruled out for the entire season yet, the prevalence of injuries to mobile quarterbacks suggests a potential link to their playing style and increased exposure to hits. The trend is reminiscent of recent seasons, including 2023 when Aaron Rodgers suffered a torn Achilles, and 2024 when both Tagovailoa and Jordan Love were injured early.
