2026 NFL Week 2 Takeaways: Quarterback injuries already impacting teams
The theme for Week 2 of the 2026 NFL season has been surprise results.
The Saints absolutely shocked Baltimore, Carolina humiliated Atlanta and quarterback injuries may have completely derailed the season for the Commanders and Bears.
So, what did we learn in Week 2? Let’s break it down with some key takeaways.
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Key quarterback injuries
Adversity is striking early in Washington and Chicago as quarterbacks Jayden Daniels and Caleb Williams each went down with nasty looking injuries.
Daniels suffered a dislocated left elbow during the Commanders’ 37-20 loss in Dallas. The replay is worth a listen to hear Tom Brady’s NSFW reaction, but the video itself is hard to watch. It’s the exact same injury that caused Daniels to miss a large chunk of time last year, so it’s deja vu in Washington with Marcus Mariotta back under centre for the foreseeable future.
The Bears followed up a 59-point offensive onslaught in Week 1 with a dud of a performance in a 9-3 loss against Minnesota on Sunday. The bigger loss, however, is Williams. The third-year signal caller went down with a non-contact injury and was visibly in pain as he was carted down the tunnel. On the bright side, the worst-case scenario might be avoided as it’s a hamstring injury, not his knee or Achilles.
Biggest shock result: Saints over Ravens
The biggest surprise result of the day is easily the Saints beating the Raves 24-17.
New Orleans rallied from a 14-3 deficit, with Tyler Shough leading the way. Shough threw for 252 yards and a touchdown and also ran in the game-winning touchdown on a fourth-down play with under two minutes remaining.
The Saints’ first win of the season was obviously encouraging, but what was even more encouraging was the manner it came by. New Orleans battled back after a slow start to beat a legit Super Bowl contender on the road.
After the Saints also took Detroit to overtime on the road in Week 1, it might be time to start taking this team a little more seriously.
Biggest surprise score: Panthers win 34-3 over Falcons
The result wasn’t necessarily the biggest surprise in Carolina’s win over Atlanta on Sunday, it’s the 34-3 scoreline.
Bryce Young balled out with 287 passing yards and three TDs, while the Panthers’ defence forced five turnovers. The performance was a much-needed bounce back after Carolina was torched for 59 points against Chicago in the opening week.
On the flip side, the Falcons drop to 0-2 on the year, with no momentum generating in any part of their game. Tua Tagovailoa’s Atlanta debut can’t come soon enough for this team.
NFC West is a juggernaut
The Seahawks and 49ers each improved to 2-0 with blowout wins on Sunday, which proves the NFC West will be a gauntlet once again this season.
Seattle didn’t miss a beat with Sam Darnold on the sideline. Drew Lock threw for 235 yards and connected with Jaxon Smith-Njigba for three TDs in a 31-7 win over Arizona.
San Francisco dismantled Miami 35-13. Brock Purdy finished with 287 passing yards and two TDs, adding a third score on the ground.
The defending Super Bowl champs and the Niners are both humming early and we still have the Super Bowl-favourite Rams to watch out for.
Dak Prescott record-setting day
Dak Prescott had himself a day in Dallas’ commanding 37-20 win against Washington, throwing for 279 yards and four TDs.
Prescott’s last touchdown pass broke Tony Romo’s all-time franchise record, with Prescott now sitting at 249 career TD passes.
However, the game was overshadowed by Jayden Daniels’ grisly-looking injury, with the Commanders now standing as the only winless NFC East team.