NFL Backup Quarterbacks Pushed Into Spotlight After Week 2 Injury Wave
The short version
- Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Jaxson Dart were injured in Week 2; Dart is out for the season.
- Marcus Mariota will start for Washington against Seattle, with Sam Hartman as the new backup.
- Jameis Winston takes over as the Giants' starter with Dart sidelined.
- Sam Darnold, Kyler Murray and Michael Penix Jr. also missed time with injuries earlier this season.
Injuries to Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Jaxson Dart have thrust backups like Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston into starting roles across the league.
A rash of quarterback injuries in Week 2 has put backup passers across the NFL front and center heading into Week 3 of the 2026 season.
Chicago's Caleb Williams (hamstring) and Washington's Jayden Daniels (dislocated non-throwing elbow) have both been ruled out of their teams' upcoming games. Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart is expected to miss the rest of the season after injuring his knee Monday night against the Rams.
The problem predates Week 2. Seattle's Sam Darnold, a Super Bowl champion, went down with a gluteal injury on the fifth snap of opening night. Atlanta had to turn to third-stringer Cooper Rush before Michael Penix Jr. returned to lead a Thursday night win at Green Bay. Minnesota is just now getting Kyler Murray back after a concussion kept him out of most of the first two games.
In Washington, Marcus Mariota will start Sunday's home opener against the Seahawks in place of Daniels. Mariota, the second overall pick in 2015, signed with the Commanders in 2024 to back up and mentor Daniels and is a respected voice in the locker room. Teammates pushed for him to be named a captain for the Seattle game.
Mariota relieved Daniels in the second half last Sunday and played well, throwing for 111 yards and a touchdown. Sam Hartman moves up to No. 2 on the depth chart while Daniels is out, with rookie Athan Kaliakmanis also in the quarterback room.
Mariota said he leaned on Hartman and Kaliakmanis for extra eyes on film and in-game observations. He also acknowledged he pressed too often last season, when he made eight starts while Daniels dealt with various injuries and Washington lost six of those games. His lesson: play within the system rather than trying to do too much.
Former NFL backup Chase Daniel, now an ESPN analyst, said a good backup must perform when called upon and serve as the starter's chief supporter and a filter between coaches and the quarterback. Daniel spent his 14-year career primarily as a backup to stars including Drew Brees, Alex Smith, Matthew Stafford and Justin Herbert.
Hartman described the backup's weekly routine as quiet until it suddenly isn't, often without practice reps, focused on doing what he called the dirty jobs to stay useful. In New York, Jameis Winston — drafted first overall in 2015, one spot ahead of Mariota — takes over as the Giants' starter in place of Dart.
Cincinnati's quarterback depth is considered among the league's strongest, with former Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco backing up Joe Burrow after arriving via a mid-year trade from Cleveland last season and earning a Pro Bowl nod. Sean Clifford and veteran journeyman Josh Johnson sit further down the Bengals' depth chart behind a starter who has missed 16 games since the start of the 2023 season.
