Early quarterback injuries worry teams — who could be the potential replacement?

The NFL season has just begun and within two weeks six teams have faced injuries to their starting quarterbacks. The Falcons began the season without Michael Penix Jr., who was recovering from an ACL injury, and then Tua Tagovailoa had a back issue. In Week 1, the Seahawks lost Sam Darnold to a glute injury, while Kyler Murray suffered a head hit. Week 2 made things worse: the Commanders lost Jayden Daniels to a repeated elbow sprain, the Bears saw Caleb Williams leave with a hamstring injury and backup Tyler Bagent entered concussion protocol, and the Giants lost Jaxson Dart to a knee problem whose outcome is still uncertain.

As NFL.com reports, this string of injuries has highlighted the importance of experienced backups and depth at the quarterback position: teams that had solid alternatives have managed to stay competitive, while others have paid the price.

Seattle and Minnesota have done well using their backups — Drew Lock and Carson Wentz — and both hold 2-0 records. Atlanta, by contrast, has struggled; third-stringer Cooper Rush was benched after several mistakes and his replacement Jack Strand had an immediately negative impact. There is also good news: Penix is expected to start for the Falcons and Tagovailoa has returned to full-participation practice; Darnold is expected to gradually return to practice with the Seahawks, and Murray has been cleared from concussion protocol with the Vikings.

Some teams remain in search of solutions. With the Bears, Case Keenum is the only other active quarterback on the roster and he hasn’t played a regular-season game since December 2023. With the Commanders, the length of Jayden Daniels’ absence is unclear: X-rays revealed no fractures, but coach Dan Quinn gave no details on the MRI result; for the next game the team will rely on Marcus Mariota and has no experienced third-stringer like last year. The Giants may be in an even more difficult position: if Jaxson Dart’s injury proves serious, Jameis Winston is expected to take over as starter and the team has only him as an active passer, while Jake Haener stays on the practice squad.

Finding a quality backup at this point is difficult, but some names could be considered for trades or signings: Mac Jones, who has restored his value as a backup in San Francisco after a stint in Jacksonville; Jimmy Garoppolo, a veteran with a winning record as a starter but little recent playing time; Josh Johnson, the well-traveled journeyman with broad experience and knowledge of several coaching staffs; Will Levis, on the Jets practice squad with debatable potential; Anthony Richardson, who didn’t meet expectations with the Colts but remains a name of interest; J.J. McCarthy, temporarily benched with the Vikings after injuries; and Brandon Allen, a veteran who has often worked with coach Brian Callahan.

According to NFL.com, teams needing insurance at the quarterback position will look at options like trades, free-agent signings or practice-squad elevations to cope with unexpected absences and stay competitive during the season.