Week 2 of the NFL season delivered a gut punch to the league, as three promising young quarterbacks suffered injuries that looked season-altering right when they happened. While the news on Caleb Williams’ hamstring injury since the Chicago Bears’ loss to the Minnesota Vikings has been promising, the Washington Commanders’ Jayden Daniels could be out for an extended period, and the New York Giants’ Jaxson Dart is unfortunately done for the season with a knee injury.
The Carnage Was Real: “Holy S—! What Is Going On?”
You felt it watching the games, right? The air just went out of the stadium. One NFL scout perfectly summed up the feeling, telling a reporter his “heart sank” when Bears quarterback Caleb Williams went down. Then, just hours later, that same scout “couldn’t believe it” when Commanders QB Jayden Daniels got hit with an elbow injury. And when Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart hit the ground, clutching his knee, the text came: “Holy s—! Another one? What is going on?” It was pure carnage for young, talented NFL quarterbacks, and potentially devastating for three teams. The Commanders and Giants especially lost their franchise guys for the season. Sure, every team will put on a brave face about their backups, but everyone knows what they’ve truly lost.
The Backup Conundrum Just Got A Whole Lot Uglier
The scout nailed it: “The days of Steve Young backing up Joe Montana are over.” The NFL just doesn’t have a deep bench of elite quarterbacks anymore, and the good ones don’t stay backups for long. What you’re looking for in a second-stringer now is someone who can just keep the ship afloat for a few games, maybe a month. But nobody, absolutely nobody, wants to play most of the season with their second guy. Just look at the Giants and Commanders. They’re turning to Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota, respectively. These guys are both 32, first two picks of the 2015 draft. They were stars, everyone loved them, had all the ability in the world. But it’s 11 years later now. They had their shot, and they couldn’t consistently lead a team. If anyone thought they could lead a team for a full season, they’d be starters somewhere. The scout didn’t mince words: “But they can’t do it.”
So, what’s the outlook for these teams now? “All they can do is hope,” the scout said. The futures of the Commanders and Giants largely hinge on their injured franchise quarterbacks, and now they’re staring down the barrel of an entire season without them. It’s a brutal reminder of how quickly a season can change, and how critical quarterback health is in this league. These teams are in for a long haul, hoping their veterans can just keep them competitive.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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