| There is at least one prominent owner who does not share the enthusiasm of The Commish for an NFL team in London. Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com: In recent weeks, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has commented on multiple occasions regarding his “no doubt” belief that the NFL will have multiple teams in other countries — with Europe being the most likely destination. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones doesn’t see that happening through expansion of the league. “I don’t know about an expansion,” Jones said on 105.3 the Fan in Dallas, via Brandon Contes of Awful Announcing. “I see the games continuing like they are. And I see the ethos, if you will, of the game, the story of the game really expanding all over the world. But fundamentally, to have an expansion team, probably is pretty far. If it’s here, it’s in the future.” It’s unclear whether Jones was expressing pessimism about an international presence generally, or specifically through expansion. Absent adding new teams, the only way to put teams in Europe or elsewhere would be to relocate existing franchises. (Good luck identifying teams that would be viable candidates to move.) Regardless, Goodell currently has more power than any one owner. And if Goodell sees an international team coming, it makes sense to take him seriously. For years, the NFL has dangled the possibility of a team in London as part of the effort to build interest there. More recently, the talk feels like something more than pandering to Europe. If it happens, it surely won’t happen soon. At some point, however, the only way to truly export the passion that American fans feel for the sport will be to give fans in other countries a local team around which they can rally. London continues to be the most logical starting point, with one team playing home games at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and the other playing at Wembley Stadium. Since the merger in 1970, the NFL hasn’t had a dramatic uptick in teams at one time. Two were added in 1976 (Buccaneers and Seahawks). Two more were added in 1995 (Jaguars and Panthers). The Browns returned in 1999, after the Browns became the Ravens, and the Texans rounded out the league at 32 in 2002. Twenty-four years later, the NFL is in the longest stretch in league history without the addition of a new team. At some point, it will grow. When it does, two new teams in London make the most sense. |
| NFC NORTH |
| CHICAGOJon Greenberg of The Athletic on the disparity the hovers around QB CALEB WILLIAMS – that he’s soft even though he has not missed a start in two years. A hush fell over Soldier Field and all throughout Chicago and the Bears diaspora. Caleb Williams was hurt. Like really hurt. Maybe Derrick Rose hurt. It could only be something awful. A torn knee ligament. A ruptured Achilles tendon. The dreaded noncontact injury that waylays a season or even a career. Williams screamed in agony on the ground. He was helped off the field. He was taken to the little blue tent. He was carted to the locker room. We all know these steps and what they could mean for a season that began with so much promise. As he rode on the cart Sunday, Williams had a towel over his face, and when he took it off, you could tell he had been crying. He pumped his fist to the adoring crowd at Soldier Field. He had the look of an athlete who knew his season might be over. It was a sad moment, but it seemed authentic. Later in the fourth quarter, around the time the Bears were trying to stage an ill-fated comeback, it was announced Williams had a hamstring injury, not a knee or an Achilles. A city exhaled as we waited for more information. After the game, Williams was seen walking around the locker room. On Monday, it was announced that further testing showed the hamstring injury wasn’t as bad as feared. It was revealed the Bears wouldn’t even officially rule him out for the next game. Bears coach Ben Johnson acknowledged the obvious: Williams wouldn’t practice this week and “will likely miss some time.” But still, that’s when the jokes started. The tears. The cart. The fist pump. All this for a hamstring? That’s also when the memes started. On the cruel internet, and in the sports talk world, no one cares about the context that Williams hasn’t missed a game in two seasons. That he was sacked 68 times as a rookie in a disastrous season for the Bears and kept bouncing back up. Williams has been a mark for criticism since crying in his mom’s arms after a loss at USC. For painting his nails. For seeming a little too extra. Williams is confident and unafraid to be himself. He likes his nails done and his matcha iced. There’s something about him that rubs people the wrong way. It reminds me a bit of Joakim Noah, who once told me, “Some people like me, some people really hate me. It’s been like that since I was a little kid. I don’t really know what it is, if it’s the hair or just the way I am. I just learned to live with it.” But like Noah, Williams has endeared himself to Chicago. He is friendly to people. He takes pictures. He smiles. He doesn’t act like life in the public eye is a burden. Last year, he showed the franchise was correct in trusting its present and future to him. He made winning throws that no one had ever seen from a Bears quarterback. He got the cover of Madden. The questions and whispers went away. And then Sunday happened. Now, he was reduced to being a meme on social media, group texts and email chains. Let’s be clear. Almost no one in Chicago cared about Williams’ reaction after the injury. Everyone is just glad he isn’t that hurt. But now that we think he’ll be fine, it’s OK to laugh a bit along with everyone else. On X, the video of Williams pumping his fist with tears in his eyes became a stand-in for anyone conquering a minor obstacle, like fasting during Yom Kippur (which I was doing as this unfolded Monday), making it through a morning meeting without coffee, or every parent’s waking nightmare, stepping on a Lego brick. I’ll leave out the more risqué ones, but will give a shout-out to the dictionary folks. I try not to acknowledge anything made with AI, but I did laugh at the X post in which Caleb was Daniel-san and the pope was Mr. Miyagi. In the parasocial world of sports and online fan culture, sometimes you’re the hero and sometimes you’re the meme. Alonzo Mourning gets it. So does Michael Jordan. And let’s not forget former Bears quarterback Jay Cutler. As the saying goes, they don’t meme nobodies. As for the more negative reaction, well, I’m not much of a fan of mocking athletes for getting upset about being hurt. A lost season can affect more than the present. Just look at Rose, whose career trajectory changed after a torn ACL. And saying they’re not tough, when even a noncontact sport can leave an athlete with a torn-up body, seems a bit silly, especially for us keyboard warriors. Some media members, fans and even ex-players essentially called Williams wimpy (or worse) for overdramatizing his injury. Some stuck up for him. Bears fans rallied around him. I’m not in his head, but I’m guessing Williams was worried his season was over. I imagine he was dealing with the shock of a painful leg injury after two years of good injury luck. A franchise quarterback carries the weight of a franchise and a city on his shoulders, and Williams seems to get that. Don’t we want athletes to care? Isn’t that the knock of the jocks in the modern age, when athletes are brands unto themselves? But then there were the more unpleasant, mocking comments. As of this writing, Williams has tapped four reposts on X since the injury, one of which was about that kind of reaction. He shouldn’t give those kinds of insults any more oxygen. He’s a public figure in the social media age, and it sucks, but that’s reality. I could be doing the scolding columnist bit, but what difference would that make? The good news is it’s never been more rewarding to be a star athlete like Caleb Williams. The money’s good, the opportunities to succeed are vast, and the advances in modern medicine make it easier than ever to rebound from injuries. Williams’ hamstring will be fine. His good reputation will return when he takes the field. Still, it shows how fickle his career can be. In a week’s time, he went from MVP to meme. That’s the life he lives. If you’re Caleb Williams, what else can you do now but get your rehab done, hold your head up high, pump your fist and enjoy the ride? |
| DETROITThis “early surprise” verdict from ESPN.com: The early surprise: Jameson Williams is off to a rocky start. The verdict: Mirage. Coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, there were high expectations for Williams entering 2026 as WR2. However, Williams has just six receptions for 78 yards under first-year offensive coordinator Drew Petzing. Williams has been targeted 13 times and hasn’t been able to make much of an impact through the first two weeks. But quarterback Jared Goff maintains faith in Williams, as the wide receiver should certainly get back on track. “I’m not worried about him in the slightest, and I got to be a little bit better for him too,” Goff said after Detroit’s Week 1 win. — Eric Woodyard |
| MINNESOTAThis “early surprise” verdict from ESPN.com: The early surprise: Dallas Turner has become a dominating pass rusher. The verdict: Real. Turner leads the NFL in pressures (15) and quarterback hits (11), ranks second in pass rush win rate among edge rushers (35.7%) and is tied for third in sacks (3.0). The Vikings’ frenetic defensive scheme has helped him go unblocked on some occasions and get favorable matchups on others, but he has been all over the field. Some of his numbers might diminish as opponents seek solutions via film, but all defenses are elevated by having a pass rusher whose potential impact requires the offense to account for him on every play. — Kevin Seifert |
| NFC EAST |
| NEW YORK GIANTSAlthough he stood on the sidelines for the entirety of Monday night’s loss in LA, QB JAXSON DART’s knee is not good. Nick Shook of NFL.com: Jaxson Dart’s 2026 season is in jeopardy. The New York Giants starting quarterback could potentially miss the rest of the season after testing on Tuesday showed his knee injury is worse than initially feared, NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo and ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported. Schefter added Dart could undergo season-ending surgery. “Right now evaluations are ongoing. We haven’t gotten any final decisions yet,” Giants head coach John Harbaugh said on Tuesday, minutes after the report broke. “We’ve learned a lot more. I wouldn’t really want to share too much until decisions get made and that takes more than one person. It takes everybody involved. “When we know what direction we’re going to have to go … we’ll announce that, but we don’t have that yet. So, I don’t want to get out over our skis on that. Can’t really respond to every report that people make. Got to work on our own timeline here.” Harbaugh was asked specifically about the report Dart could miss the rest of the season. “I don’t think I can really comment on any of that right now until we know for sure what’s going to transpire,” he said. Dart suffered the injury — which, reportedly, was initially believed to be a sprained MCL — at the end of the Giants’ first possession in their 28-6 loss to the Rams on Monday night. Jameis Winston replaced Dart, completing 11 of 27 passes for 111 yards and an interception. Dart walked off the field under his own power and was taken into the locker room for further evaluation Monday night, which initially produced results that were encouraging enough for Dart to attempt to re-enter the game, ESPN’s Laura Rutledge reported during the broadcast. Harbaugh echoed the optimistic sentiment afterward, telling reporters on Monday that it appeared Dart avoided “the devastating outcome” and landed “in the neighborhood” of an MCL sprain, adding New York would know more after a Tuesday MRI. Tuesday wasn’t as positive, and now the Giants might have to confront a reality they’d hoped to avoid. Dart’s knee injury marks the second instance in which he’s been sidelined due to health challenges. He missed two games in 2025 due to a concussion and has attracted attention for his fearless style of play, which has left him susceptible to more hits than the average quarterback. The hit that caused the injury on Monday night, however, occurred with Dart under duress in the pocket and had nothing to do with his scrambling aggression. Unfortunately, the outcome is too familiar to the Giants, who must shift toward preparing Winston as their starter for the foreseeable future. |
| NFC SOUTH |
| CAROLINARB JONATHON BROOKS is injured again, although this time it isn’t a knee. Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com with some unflattering numbers on his availability (or lack thereof): The groin injury suffered by Panthers running back Jonathon Brooks on Sunday was worse than initially believed. Although Brooks was initially described as week-to-week, he will actually miss at least six weeks, according to Ian Rapoport. Brooks is scheduled for core muscle surgery today. The Panthers will put him on injured reserve. At this point, it’s more newsworthy when Brooks is healthy than when he’s injured. The Panthers made him the first running back selected in the 2024 NFL draft while he was still recovering from a torn ACL in college, he tore the same ACL as a rookie, and he didn’t play at all in 2025. Brooks has just 52 yards on 18 carries in his career. He still has never so much as gained a single rushing first down.– – -An ESPN.com verdict on the “early surprise” that the Panthers are a superior passing team: The early surprise: The Panthers’ passing game has been on fire. The verdict: Real. Carolina averaged 179.3 passing yards per game in 2025. Through two outings this season, quarterback Bryce Young has thrown for 648 yards and six touchdowns with one interception. With offensive coordinator Brad Idzik taking over playcalling duties from coach Dave Canales, Young has put together back-to-back impressive outings while throwing two touchdown passes to three different players. Idzik and Young have pulled this off with a relatively modest rushing attack that is averaging 96.5 yards per game. That element makes this passing stretch seem more fact than fiction. — Mike Kaye |
| TAMPA BAYAre the 0-2 Bucs in trouble? Jenna Laine of ESPN.com says yes: The early surprise: The winless Bucs are in trouble. The verdict: Real. The Bucs are 0-2 for the first time since 2014. Since 2002, just 12% of teams that have started off with that record have reached the postseason. What’s more alarming is just how disjointed everything looks. Baker Mayfield has turned the ball over four times and is clearly not on the same page as his receivers. Defensively, Alex Anzalone — who was supposed to step in and fill the void left by retired linebacker Lavonte David — has missed a handful of tackles already, and he collided with his own teammates while attempting to tackle Cleveland wideout Denzel Boston. That’s not good at all. — Jenna Laine |
| NFC WEST |
| ARIZONAFrank Schwab of YahooSports.com on the increasing likelihood that WR MARVIN HARRISON, Jr. will someday be taking up residence in Bustville. There are 220 players with two or more catches this season. Among them: Nate Adkins, Jared Wayne, LaJohntay Wester, Brady Russell, Brevyn Spann-Ford and Lan Larison. One notable player not on that list of 220: Marvin Harrison Jr. It’s early in the season but there is already a lot of worry about Harrison. It’s not just two games. It’s 31 underwhelming games into his career for the Arizona Cardinals receiver. He has just two 100-yard games. He has one game with more than six catches. And two games into this season he has one catch for 33 yards. The Cardinals threw it 28 times in Week 2 against the Seahawks and Harrison was targeted only once. Harrison was one of the most exciting receiver prospects ever. He was the fourth overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, after three really good quarterbacks (Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye) were picked. Nobody is excited anymore. A report from Dan Graziano of ESPN said some executives are wondering if the Cardinals could trade Harrison before the deadline this season. The problem might be finding a team that is willing to give up anything of value to get him. Given the buzz around Harrison a little more than two years ago, that’s startling. Marvin Harrison Jr. catches criticismThe tide has been turning on Harrison, and a video that went viral this week is going to further paint the picture of a player who is never going to live up to the hype that surrounded him when he entered the NFL. The video posted by @RookieWatxh shows Harrison’s routes from Week 2 against Seattle. Harrison looks checked out. There is no crispness or explosion within the routes. The video was viewed by 1.7 million people on X as of Wednesday morning. That’s not a good look, and it’s no wonder why he only got one target against the Seahawks. Targets are earned, and he didn’t do enough to get open. Cardinals coach Mike LaFleur defended Harrison when he spoke to the media on Monday. “I think his running style is different than some other people’s, I’d say that,” LaFleur said. “If that’s people’s narrative on him that’s fine, but I know his teammates don’t feel that way.” Perhaps that’s true. But Harrison’s role in the offense and his production, or lack thereof, is undeniable. Will Cardinals get Harrison more involved?When LaFleur was asked about getting Harrison involved more, he didn’t seem too excited about the idea. “It’s like, well just get some easy completions to get going,” LaFleur told the media on Monday. “That’s fine. You also have Trey McBride, who’s one of the best undernearth guys in the world, and there’s only about 60, 65 plays a game. And you have to run the ball, and you have Kendrick [Bourne] who works underneath pretty well too, so everyone kind of has their role right there.” It’s a fair assessment. After what we’ve seen from Harrison, why would the Cardinals go out of their way to get him more involved? There have been a few moments of promise for Harrison, and he hasn’t been horrendous (608 yards in 12 games last season). But he has not been anywhere near a reliable No. 1 receiver. Maybe not even a great No. 2 receiver. When Michael Wilson filled in for an injured Harrison last season, in his first three games he had at least 10 catches and 118 yards in each of them. Harrison has never had 10 catches in a game and 118 yards only once in three seasons. When Harrison was getting ready for the draft, he did not work out at the combine and did not work out for teams. He let his impressive college tape at Ohio State speak for itself. In retrospect, seeing the lack of explosiveness from Harrison in the NFL, maybe he knew he wouldn’t test well and it would affect his draft stock. He doesn’t play like someone who would have run a 4.3 40-yard dash at the combine. It’s not over for Harrison for this season or his career. There’s a reason he was such a highly coveted draft prospect. He was excellent at Ohio State. He’s just 24 years old and 31 games isn’t enough for every player to show what he’ll be in the NFL. Two games, which includes one against a stellar Seahawks defense, doesn’t provide a definitive answer for what Harrison’s role will be. It just doesn’t look good so far this season. LaFleur is part of a new staff that didn’t have anything to do with drafting Harrison. They don’t seem particularly interested in increasing his usage, nor has Harrison earned a bigger share. Maybe some team will trade for Harrison this season. Maybe it won’t make a difference. |
| AFC WEST |
| LAS VEGASThe Raiders are 2-0 without TE BROCK BOWERS – and now it looks like he will be on the field Sunday in New Orleans. Raiders tight end Brock Bowers has not played since Dec. 21, 2025. He has played in a win since Sept. 7, 2025, in the season opener. The Raiders are 2-0 without one of their biggest stars. Bowers, though, is expected to make his 2026 debut against the Saints on Sunday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports. He had a meniscus trim procedure earlier this month after injuring his left knee in training camp. It’s the same knee that sidelined him with a PCL sprain and bone bruise during the 2025 season. Bowers missed five games last season.– – -This from ESPN.com: The early surprise: The Raiders have eight sacks, tied for the most in the NFL. The verdict: Real. The Raiders have been ultra-aggressive in two games, and that’s thanks to defensive coordinator Rob Leonard. Las Vegas also is fifth in pressures (41) and first in pressure rate (50%). The numbers are even more impressive when factoring in that the Raiders are 23rd in blitz rate (25%). They have the potential to maintain their success because of the talent at hand. From Maxx Crosby to Nakobe Dean, the Raiders have players who can get after the quarterback, allowing Leonard to be creative with his playcalls. — Ryan McFadden |
| AFC NORTH |
| BALTIMOREThe Jesse Minter Regime did not give RB DERRICK HENRY many carries with the second half lead on Sunday. Grant Gordon of NFL.com reports former Ravens great Jamal Lewis has noticed and is dismayed: A bruising Baltimore Ravens running back of the past is confused by the use, or lack thereof, of a Charm City standout of the present. In the aftermath of Derrick Henry getting just five carries in the second half of the Ravens’ 24-17 loss to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, Baltimore’s all-time leading rusher, Jamal Lewis, was blunt in his criticism of the approach. “He’s a workhorse,” Lewis said on the BMore Football Podcast. “You’re not going to have a workhorse like that for long, so you better use him.” Henry, 32, finished the Week 2 defeat with 16 carries for 68 yards and a touchdown. With Baltimore leading at halftime, 14-6, Henry had rushed for 51 yards and a 1-yard touchdown on 11 carries. In the second half, he was given just five totes and earned 17 yards as the Ravens squandered a lead that was as wide as 11 points in the opening half. Baltimore getting away from giving Henry the ball has been a curious occurrence at times dating back to John Harbaugh’s reign. In the 2025 Ravens’ win-or-go-home Week 18 battle against the Pittsburgh Steelers, for instance, Henry had 15 carries for 112 yards in the first half, but was given the ball just five times in the second half of the 26-24 loss. It was confusing for many then, and it remains a conundrum now. “If I only got the ball 10 times in the second half, I was pissed off,” said Lewis, who admitted it was a much different situation when he played than for Henry, who lines up in the backfield with Lamar Jackson, the most prolific rushing quarterback in NFL history. Lewis still remains the Ravens’ leading rusher with 7,801 yards. Like Henry, Lewis has a 2,000-yard season to his credit. Unlike Henry, Lewis owns a Super Bowl ring. If Henry, Jackson and Baltimore are to contend for a Lombardi Trophy, Lewis is of the mind that Ravens first-year offensive coordinator Declan Doyle will need to feed the rock to Henry more often. In two-plus seasons with Henry playing for the Ravens, Baltimore is 12-3 when the two-time rushing champion has 20-plus carries. It’s 1-0 this year after he rumbled for 144 yards on 24 carries in a 41-23 season-opening win against the Indianapolis Colts. “Hopefully the offensive coordinator and the head coach learn from the mistake, being that it is early in the season,” Lewis said. “Don’t make that mistake again.” The Ravens are headed to Brazil this week to take on the Dallas Cowboys, who have given up more rushing yards this season than all but two other teams. It portends to be a prime opportunity for head coach Jesse Minter and his staff to heed Lewis’ advice.– – -But this is happening in the passing game. Can QB LAMAR JACKSON keep it up? Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com: The early surprise: Lamar Jackson leads the NFL with 10 yards per passing attempt. The verdict: Real. One of the buzz words for new Ravens offensive coordinator Declan Doyle is explosiveness. So, it’s not a surprise that Jackson tops the league with an average of 10 yards per attempt. He has completed four passes of 40 yards or longer, connecting with Zay Flowers (twice), Chris Moore and Devontez Walker. The QB is far ahead of last season’s pace, when he totaled six passes of 40 yards or longer in 10 games. — Jamison Hensley |
| CINCINNATIThe Bengals were 2-0 last year, but Carter Behns of CBSSports.com thinks 2026 will have a happier ending: Stock up: Bengals are finally the total packageFor too much of the Joe Burrow era in Cincinnati, the story has been that a leaky defense caps the ceiling of a high-octane offense. The first two weeks of 2026 squashed that narrative. The Bengals are now a complete team, and they look like a top-tier squad as a result. The additions of Dexter Lawrence, Jonathan Allen, Boye Mafe and Bryan Cook all paid dividends in the 2-0 start. Following a season opener in which the defense forced four turnovers, the unit held the Houston Texans out of the end zone and limited them to just 60 rushing yards. The Bengals proved in their first two games that they can win in different ways, first with a high-scoring effort against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and later with a grind-it-out 20-6 win over a Super Bowl hopeful. None of this is at the expense of the offense, either. Ja’Marr Chase grabbed two touchdown catches against the Texans and hauled in an early contender for catch of the year. Joe Burrow is healthy and effective as usual, and the running game is in a good place with Chase Brown leading the charge. This is the second consecutive year in which Cincinnati won its first two games, and things went off the rails in 2025. But there is reason to believe that this season will be different. If Burrow stays healthy, this team finally has all the pieces. The defensive personnel changes are difference makers — ones that can help the Bengals get back to the Super Bowl. |
| AFC SOUTH |
| HOUSTONThis from ESPN.com: The early surprise: The Texans’ run game is struggling again. The verdict: Real. Houston’s running back duo is having issues generating an efficient offense. David Montgomery is averaging 2.7 yards per carry, and Woody Marks has a 2.9 average through two weeks. That’s not all on them, though. The O-line hasn’t consistently provided lanes for them; that’s why it feels real. Sometimes, Montgomery and Marks have to fight for every yard while getting hit in the backfield. Against the Bengals, quarterback C.J. Stroud led Houston in rushing yards (29); that’s never a recipe for success. — DJ Bien-Aime |
| INDIANAPOLISLB JONATHAN OWENS (and wife, Simone Biles) has left crime-ridden Chicago, but not before finding out first hand about the problem. Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com: In March, linebacker Jonathan Owens left the Bears in free agency for the Colts. Before Owens and his wife, gymnast Simone Biles, left Chicago, they found themselves the victims of a robbery. In a video posted Tuesday on social media, Biles said that “three men in masks came to our house and stole my Porsche” before they moved out of Chicago. The car was recovered. It’s not clear when the theft occurred. And while some have interpreted Biles’s quotes to mean that their home was invaded, that’s not entirely clear from her video. Either way, it makes Owens the latest known NFL victim of a theft at his home. Owens, 31, has played for the Cardinals, Texans, Packers, Bears, and Colts. He has appeared in 84 regular-season games with 35 starts. |
| JACKSONVILLEThis from ESPN.com: The early surprise: Bhayshul Tuten is RB1. The verdict: Real. The Jaguars signed RB Chris Rodriguez Jr. in free agency, and the expectation was that he and Tuten would share the workload. Through the first two games, however, Tuten (28 carries) has more than doubled Rodriguez’s workload (12 carries). Tuten is averaging 4.7 yards per carry and also has three catches for 19 yards, and he should be fully entrenched as the lead back. — Michael DiRocco |
| AFC EAST |
| NEW YORK JETSThe Jets defense has been elite against Tennessee (win) and Green Bay (OT). Greg Cimini of ESPN.com ponders whether they can keep it up: The early surprise: The defense is No. 1 in yards allowed (197 per game). The verdict: Mirage. No doubt, the defense has improved from last season (25th), but No. 1 in the league? Let’s tap the brakes. The Jets have yet to face a top-shelf offense. Ordinarily, the Packers could be in that category, but they were compromised without running back Josh Jacobs (commissioner exempt list) and with a patchwork offensive line. Despite an overtime loss, the Jets held Green Bay to 199 yards. We’ll know a lot more about New York’s defense on Sunday against the Lions. — Rich Cimini |
| THIS AND THAT |
| QUARTERBACKS WHO COULD RIDE TO THE RESCUEFor teams, like the Giants, whose QBs go down, who could be imported to save the season? Nikki Jhabvala of The Athletic scans the market: The NFL season is only two weeks old, and yet six teams have already dealt with injuries to their starting quarterbacks. The Falcons were already without Michael Penix Jr. because of his recovery from an ACL injury when Tua Tagovailoa went down with a back injury just days before the opener. In Week 1, the Seahawks lost Sam Darnold to a glute injury and Vikings starter Kyler Murray suffered a concussion. Week 2 was even worse: The Commanders lost Jayden Daniels to another dislocated elbow (the same one he dislocated last season), the Bears watched Caleb Williams get carted off with a hamstring injury and then placed backup Tyler Bagent in the concussion protocol, and the Giants saw Jaxson Dart go down with a knee injury of to-be-determined severity. The spate of early injuries to quarterbacks has reinforced the value of experienced (and reliable) backups. The teams that have them have remained competitive; Seattle and Minnesota are both 2-0 with respective backups Drew Lock and Carson Wentz filling in. But the teams that lack a solid No. 2 or any real depth at the position have paid a price. Just look at Atlanta, where third-stringer Cooper Rush was benched during a blowout loss to the Panthers after throwing his fourth pick of the season. He was replaced by Jack Strand — who promptly threw a pick-six. There’s good news in store for a few teams. Penix will start for the Falcons on Thursday night, and Tagovailoa is back to fully participating in practice. Darnold is expected to return to practice in some capacity this week for the Seahawks, and Murray has been cleared from the concussion protocol in Minnesota. But that leaves three teams who could be in search of reinforcement. Case Keenum is the only other quarterback on the Bears’ active roster and, although he has 66 starts in his 14-year NFL career, he hasn’t played a regular-season snap since December 2023. For Washington, it remains unclear how much time Daniels might miss. X-rays of Daniels’ elbow were negative for any fractures, but coach Dan Quinn declined to provide any details about the MRI results. Daniels will not start Sunday against the Seahawks, but how long he’ll be out thereafter is unknown. In the meantime, the Commanders will turn to Marcus Mariota, just as they have the past two seasons when Daniels has dealt with injuries. The difference this time around: Washington doesn’t have an experienced third-string QB like it had with Josh Johnson last year. The team’s current No. 3 is seventh-round rookie Athan Kaliakmanis, a young player who showed some promise in the preseason but is still quite green. The Giants are in a similar, if not worse, position. Dart could be out for the rest of the season, a much worse outcome than what was originally expected. Jameis Winston is expected to take over as the starter, but he’s the only other quarterback on the Giants’ active roster. Jake Haener, a fourth-round pick by the Saints in 2023, is on the practice squad. So who might be available to help? Finding a quality backup quarterback at this point in the season is difficult, but there are several veterans and young QBs who could serve as extra insurance, if not more, for teams in need. From potential trade candidates to street free agents and practice squad players, here are some players who may be under consideration, either now or after the next prominent starter goes down. Mac JonesThe sixth-year quarterback has seemingly found his groove with San Francisco as Brock Purdy’s backup. After a standout rookie season with the Patriots in which he was named a Pro Bowl alternate, Jones cycled through multiple play callers and quickly regressed. He was traded to Jacksonville in 2024 and started seven games in relief of Trevor Lawrence. But it wasn’t until he signed a two-year deal with the 49ers in 2025 that he really showed his worth as a reliable backup. He went 5-3 as a fill-in starter, recording a 69.6 completion percentage, averaging 7.4 yards per attempt and compiling a 97.4 passer rating — all career bests. San Francisco may want to hold on to him to spell Purdy, but it could also get a decent return from a desperate team for a player who is set to be a free agent after this season. Jimmy GaroppoloThe 12-year veteran and two-time Super Bowl winner reportedly considered retirement in the offseason but ultimately decided to keep his options open in the NFL as a free agent. Garoppolo, 34, hasn’t had any real playing time since the 2024 season, when he started the Rams’ regular-season finale against the Seahawks, and he hasn’t had any consistent playing time since the start of the 2023 season with the Raiders. But he does have a 43-21 record as a starter, to go with a 67.4 career completion percentage and 97.6 passer rating. Josh JohnsonJohnson, 40, is in his 19th season of professional football and is still going as a member of the Bengals’ practice squad. He is the ultimate journeyman, playing for a record 14 NFL teams. Johnson was Washington’s third-string quarterback last season until Daniels went down and he became the backup and then the starter late in the season when Mariota suffered a quad injury. His familiarity with offensive coordinator David Blough and Washington’s other quarterbacks could make him a viable option if the Commanders seek outside reinforcement. But Johnson also has deep ties to Giants coach John Harbaugh (and his brother, Chargers coach Jim). Johnson had three stints with the Ravens when Harbaugh was their coach, totaling seven games (one start) and completing 69.8 percent of his passes for 321 passing yards, two TDs, a pick, and a 97.1 passer rating. Will LevisLevis signed to the Jets’ practice squad Tuesday, so should the Giants be interested in adding him to their active roster, he’d have a pretty easy move. But would they? The 2023 second-round pick by the Titans showed some promise when he took over for Ryan Tannehill as a rookie. But injuries and poor performances derailed his tenure in Tennessee. He was benched late in the 2024 season, when Giants quarterbacks coach Brian Callahan was Tennessee’s head coach. Levis missed all of 2025 because of a shoulder injury and was released last month after losing the backup job to Mitchell Trubisky. Anthony RichardsonRichardson never developed into the franchise quarterback the Colts hoped he’d be when they drafted him with the fourth pick in 2023. Injuries, performance issues and general readiness questions after he tapped out for a play during a narrow loss to the Texans in 2024 put him on the outs with the organization. He lost his starting job to Daniel Jones, requested a trade, and is now in the final year of his rookie contract (the Colts declined his fifth-year option). If Richardson is viewed as more of a developmental project, then a team in need of immediate help may be unlikely to trade for him. But never say never. J.J. McCarthyThe same context holds for McCarthy, the Vikings’ 2024 first-round pick. McCarthy missed the entirety of his rookie season because of a torn meniscus and was sidelined for seven games last season because of injuries. McCarthy fell to third string this season after the team signed Murray to start and re-signed Wentz as his backup. McCarthy has started only 10 games and has more interceptions (12) than touchdowns (11). But he’s well liked in the Harbaugh family. Jim Harbaugh once lauded McCarthy as the greatest quarterback in Michigan history. Brandon AllenThe 10-year veteran has spent more than four seasons with Callahan: three in Cincinnati, when Callahan was the Bengals’ offensive coordinator; another in Tennessee, when Callahan was head coach; and this offseason with the Giants. Allen was among the roster cuts late last month. |
