Wednesday brought some quarterback clarity in one building and plenty of uncertainty in others, as teams around the league finalized their injury reports ahead of Week 3.
The Atlanta Falcons got good news for their Thursday night game against the Green Bay Packers, while two other franchises are still determining who will actually take the snaps this weekend.
Tua Tagovailoa has been released to support Michael Penix Jr. on Thursday, but the New York Giants are exploring every option at quarterback after losing Jaxson Dart for the season, and the Chicago Bears still don’t know if Case Keenum, Tyson Bagent or Caleb Williams will start Monday night against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Here are the latest from around the NFL on Wednesday.
With Jaxson Dart out for the seasonJohn Harbaugh made the Giants clear they do not exclude anything at quarterback – including a trade for a starter.
Jameis Winston will start in Week 3 against the Titans, but Harbaugh confirmed the team plans to add another wing to the room, even if he wouldn’t name the candidates.
Winston brings experience but hasn’t held down a full-time starting job since 2019, and Jake Haener is New York’s only other controlling quarterback sitting on the practice squad.
Tests showed Dart avoided ACL damage, but tears in his MCL, PCL and meniscus will require surgery, with the meniscus the biggest concern — an injury similar to the one that cost Vikings QB JJ McCarthy his entire 2024 season.
McCarthy, now buried on Minnesota’s depth chart behind Kyler Murray and Carson Wentz, has reportedly drawn interest as a trade value given Giants GM Joe Schoen’s familiarity with him from the 2024 draft process. Harbaugh didn’t close the door on Dart returning for a potential postseason run.
Chicago’s quarterback picture remains murky ahead of Monday night’s game against Philadelphia, with Case Keenum, Tyson Bagent and Caleb Williams all out depending on health.
Keenum, 38, worked out Wednesday and hasn’t played in a regular-season game since December 2023, but he’s healthy — which is more than can currently be said for the other two. He said he is nervous about the potential start, but welcomes the excitement.
“I like the feeling of being nervous. I get nervous. And it’s not a scared nervous, it’s an excited nervous because I know I’m prepared. I’m confident in my preparation and what I’ve done. I’m confident in my teammates. I’m confident in their preparation. I’m confident in my game plan and what my coach has done.”
Williams is still working his way back from the hamstring injury that kept him out of Sunday’s loss to Minnesota, and while he hasn’t been ruled out, caution is expected given how much his mobility factors into his game.
Bagent, who went 5-of-9 for 54 yards in relief before being sacked in the final game, was abruptly placed in concussion protocol Tuesday with no clear timeline for his return.
Coach Ben Johnson said the team has no plans to bring in another quarterback this week, framing the uncertainty as a possibility for whoever ends up under center.
Tua Tagovailoa is good to go for Atlanta’s trip to Green Bay, and he will do so as a backup.
The quarterback was not in Final Falcons injury report of the weekand head coach Kevin Stefanski indicated earlier Wednesday that Tagovailoa was inclined to serve behind Michael Penix Jr. for Thursday Night Football.
Tua Tagovailoa was actually slated to start the season opener before a hamstring injury suffered during the week of practice sidelined him (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
Tagovailoa was slated to start the season opener before an oblique suffered during the week of practice sidelined him, with Cooper Rush filling in the first two games while Penix returned from reconstructive knee surgery.
Now healthy, Tagovailoa steps in as QB2 behind Penix, who will face the starting duties in Week 3.
Carolina is running back Jonathon Brooks on injured reserve as he will undergo surgery on Wednesday for a hamstring injury, although he is expected to return later this season.
The Panthers said Brooks is looking at a minimum six-week recovery after injuring his groin late in Sunday’s win over Atlanta.
“It was a pretty significant groin injury and we got a lot of input on what the best course of action is,” coach Dave Canales said. “Jonathon will have surgery to repair the injury and the timeline for a surgical or non-surgical return would be similar.”
It’s the latest setback in an injury-plagued career for Brooks, who has played just five of a possible 36 games since being drafted in 2024 because of two ACL tears — one at Texas and one as a rookie.
With Brooks used sparingly in two games, Chuba Hubbard remains the clear-cut starter and Carolina is reportedly bringing in veteran Austin Ekeler to fill out the backfield behind him and AJ Dillon.
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