The NFL season is a war of attrition, and after Week 2, two teams are already without their starting quarterbacks.
Bears signal-caller Caleb Williams and Commanders QB Jayden Daniels were both carted off the field yesterday. It’s a hamstring injury for Williams, while Daniels dislocated his left (non-throwing) elbow.
Daniels’s injury appears to be the more significant of the two. He was injured on the final play of the first half in Washington’s loss to the Cowboys when he used his left hand to brace himself as he stumbled behind the line of scrimmage. His arm bent awkwardly and replays showed the bone protruding unnaturally beneath the skin. He started to go toward the sideline under his own power but fell to his knees and was eventually carted off.
Washington coach Dan Quinn confirmed that Daniels had dislocated the elbow but said X-rays were negative. Daniels will undergo additional testing today.
Daniels had a very similar injury in Week 9 last season. In that case, too, he dislocated his left elbow after using it to brace himself. The difference was that the first injury occurred when he was thrown to the ground by a defender.
Daniels returned after missing four weeks, but he reinjured the elbow while attempting to make a tackle following an interception and missed the final four games. It marked the end of an injury-filled second season for Daniels, who had missed time earlier in the year with knee and hamstring issues. He started only seven games, and Washington went 2–5 with him under center. The Commanders had been one of the NFL’s most pleasant surprises in 2024 when they went 12–5 and Daniels won Offensive Rookie of the Year, but now they’re staring down another extended absence for their franchise quarterback.
A significant injury for Williams would have a bigger impact on the NFC playoff picture, but it appears the Bears may have reason for optimism.
Williams was carted off midway through the fourth quarter of yesterday’s loss to the Vikings with what was later diagnosed as a hamstring injury. Williams was in tears as the cart headed toward the locker room, but the injury might not be as severe as his reaction would indicate. “There’s currently optimism that it’s not serious,” Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reported. Florio said “the hope” is that it’s a Grade 1 hamstring strain, the least severe diagnosis. Williams will undergo an MRI to determine the extent of the injury.
Williams was brilliant in Week 1 as Chicago hung 59 points on the Panthers, but the offense took a major step backward against Minnesota. The Bears managed just a first-half field goal as they lost 9–3.
The timing of Williams’s injury is tough for the Bears. It comes as they’re set to take on the Eagles next Monday in a showdown of NFC contenders. Now, they may have to face Philadelphia with Tyson Bagent piloting the offense.
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