Five NFL Starting Quarterbacks Suffer Injuries in 2 Weeks as Practice Limits Draw Scrutiny
Updated
Updated · NBC Sports · Sep 23
Five NFL Starting Quarterbacks Suffer Injuries in 2 Weeks as Practice Limits Draw Scrutiny
3 articles · Updated · NBC Sports · Sep 23
Summary
Five of the NFL’s 32 starting quarterbacks were injured in the first two weeks of the 2026 season, with the tally updated after Vikings starter Kyler Murray’s Week 1 concussion.
Week 2 added three more cases: Bears quarterback Caleb Williams pulled a hamstring, Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels dislocated his left elbow again, and Giants rookie Jaxson Dart reportedly sprained an MCL.
Week 1 also sidelined Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold with a glute injury, though Murray has already been cleared for Week 3 and Darnold could return this week.
Bill Belichick and Mike Tomlin pointed to limited padded practices as a factor, arguing offensive linemen get too little contact work and quarterbacks go from protected practices to live hits.
With five starting NFL quarterbacks injured early in 2026, could the league's strict practice safety rules actually be causing more in-game casualties?
As star quarterbacks fall to early-season injuries, will the reliance on inexperienced backups and underprepared offensive lines completely derail the 2026 playoff race?
Can Bill Belichick's aggressive transfer portal strategy at North Carolina solve the exact offensive line crisis currently plaguing the NFL?