By ROB MAADDI AP Pro Football Writer
Caleb Williams was carted off the field with a hamstring injury. Jayden Daniels needed a cart after he dislocated his elbow again.
Williams and Daniels already were linked together as Heisman Trophy winners selected with the first two picks of the 2024 NFL draft. Now, the two franchise quarterbacks are dealing with potentially significant injuries at the same time after getting hurt on Sunday.
That’s bad news for Chicago, Washington and the NFL, which loses two of its young stars.
There’s hope Williams avoided a serious injury. He was seen walking around the locker room after the game with only a slight limp. But the Bears won’t know the severity of it until he gets an MRI on Monday.
It’s possible he could return to the lineup sooner than later but the Bears will likely be cautious with Williams, whose mobility is a big part of his game.
A worst-case scenario would be an injury similar to what Dak Prescott suffered midway through the 2024 season. Prescott needed surgery because a hamstring tendon tore away from a bone. That required a four-month recovery process.
Seeing Williams visibly emotional, sitting on a cart with a towel draped over his face was a scary moment for Bears fans, his coaches and teammates. After a rough rookie season, Williams had a breakout year with coach Ben Johnson in 2025 and led Chicago to an NFC North title and playoff win.
“I’m actually happy it’s nothing with the knee, that was my first inclination,” Johnson said. “But yeah, the hamstring could be pretty damaging as well. So, we’ll see how bad it is and we’ll go from there.”
Daniels has been through this before, which could prolong his recovery. He dislocated his left elbow in Week 9 last season, returned in Week 14, tweaked it again and missed the last four games.
Daniels was the AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2024 when he led the Commanders to the NFC championship game against Philadelphia. But injuries limited him to only seven starts last season.
Commanders coach Dan Quinn said imaging showed Daniels didn’t suffer a fracture and he’ll have more tests Monday.
It has to be concerning that Daniels’ left elbow has twice bent the wrong way on a fall in less than a year.
Dr. David Chao, an orthopedic surgeon and former team physician for the Chargers, wrote on X: “Joint comes out easier 2nd time. Original ligament tear heals ‘looser.'”
Quinn summed it up succinctly: “It sucks.”
The Bears (1-1) scored 59 points in Week 1 before losing 9-3 to the Vikings. With Williams, they have high expectations. They would turn to Tyson Bagent in his absence. If his test results provide positive news, Williams has an extra day to rest because the Bears host Philadelphia (2-0) next Monday night.
Marcus Mariota will replace Daniels for the Commanders (0-2). They weren’t expected to be contenders even with Daniels. Without him, things look bleak in a tough NFC East.
Here are some other takeaways from Sunday’s games:
Shaky Packers can win without Parsons
The Packers overcame a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter and beat the Jets 20-17 in overtime to finally win a game without Micah Parsons. Green Bay was 0-6 without the All-Pro pass rusher, including a playoff loss to Chicago. Parsons is still recovering from ACL surgery. The problem wasn’t defense against New York. The offense sputtered, managing just 199 yards. Jordan Love threw two TD passes but the Packers converted on third down just once in nine tries.
Resilient Saints are playoff contenders
After nearly rallying New Orleans from a 21-0 deficit in Week 1 against Detroit, Tyler Shough led the Saints to a 24-17 comeback win at Baltimore on Sunday. The second-year pro guided a 16-play TD drive for the go-ahead score in the fourth quarter. The Saints are going to compete in a weak NFC South.
Bengals’ defense is for real
Cincinnati’s revamped defense led by Dexter Lawrence and Jonathan Allen kept Houston out of the end zone in a 20-6 win. The Bengals sacked C.J. Stroud four times, forced five punts and four turnovers on downs. If the defense continues to play this well, Joe Burrow and the Bengals are Super Bowl contenders.
Mahomes is Superman
Patrick Mahomes had surgery to repair a torn ACL and LCL nine months ago. He looks like his old self already. Mahomes threw for 382 yards and three TDs in Kansas City’s 33-30 overtime win over Indianapolis. He ran twice for 17 yards, moved around in the pocket and made big plays.
Denver’s defense bounces back
The Broncos held the Jaguars to 268 yards and gave Trevor Lawrence trouble throughout the game in a 20-13 comeback win against Jacksonville. After a terrible start in Week 1, Denver’s stingy defense returned to form.
Raiders are Kirk’s team
Kirk Cousins fired three TD passes to lead Las Vegas to a 26-14 victory on the road against the Chargers. He’s got six TD in two games and the Raiders are off to a 2-0 start after going 3-14 last season. No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza is going to have to wait his turn because Cousins is playing well.
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