Credits: Imagn Images

NFL Week 3 Quarterback Injuries and New Signings – Bengals, Vikings QB Depth Charts take a hit with Burrow, McCarthy Injury, Jayden Daniels uncertain for Commanders!

Multiple quarterback injuries ahead of week 3 games!

Credits: Imagn Images

Now that week 2 of the NFL season is behind us, it is time to look at what lies ahead. Specifically, one of the more important and concerning things about this game is the injuries and their ramifications on teams.

And when injuries occur to a team’s starting quarterback, it could spell the end of the season. So, without further ado, let us take a look at those teams that are facing injury concerns with respect to their starting signal callers.

Quarterback Injuries for Week 3

It was only week 2 of the 2025 NFL season, and yet we have five quarterbacks facing various levels of injury concerns. While some will miss a few games, others may still play in week 3, but one Joe Burrow will certainly be out for the majority of the season.

Bengals QB Depth Chart After Joe Burrow’s Exit

During the Cincinnati Bengals’ week 2 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Joe Burrow suffered a turf toe injury that now requires him to get surgery. The healing process is expected to take approximately 3 months, which means the earliest he can make a comeback is mid-December, by which time most of the regular season will already be over.

In the meantime, backup quarterback Jake Browning was thrust into action against the Jaguars and was able to get the win, but what are their plans going forward? Well, with Burrow out for at least the next 3 months, this is what the Bengals QB depth chart looks like now.

Jake Browning – Starting QB
Brett Rypien – Backup QB
Sean Clifford/Mike White – Practice Squad

WILD STAT: #Bengals backup quarterback Jake Browning has more game-winning drives than Joe Burrow since 2023.

Jake Browning in 13 games: 3 game-winners
Joe Burrow: Two game-winners

Browning is extremely clutch 🤯 pic.twitter.com/baMLZEPNIQ
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) September 15, 2025

Vikings QB Depth Chart After J.J. McCarthy’s Ankle Injury

Although Vikings’ second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy finished the week 2 game against the Atlanta Falcons, he left the game with a high ankle sprain. As per the latest updates, McCarthy will miss the game against the Bengals in week 3, but could also end up missing the upcoming 2-4 weeks depending on his healing process.

Minnesota’s backup QB, Carson Wentz, will be starting the game against Cincinnati and could continue to do so should McCarthy take longer to heal. The Vikings QB depth chart now looks like this:

Carson Wentz – Starting QB
Max Brosmer – Backup QB
Desmond Ridder – Third string QB

Commanders QB Depth With Jayden Daniels Uncertainty Over Knee Injury

In Washington, the news is that Jayden Daniels is day-to-day following a knee sprain. There is no official word yet on whether or not he will play against the Raiders in week 3, but if the Commanders were to err on the side of caution, then backup quarterback Marcus Mariota will be in line to take over for the game.

The Commanders’ QB depth chart in the wake of Jayden Daniels’ knee sprain is as follows:

Jayden Daniels – Starting QB
Marcus Mariota – Backup QB
Josh Johnson – Third string QB

From last night’s episode of The Insiders: No one is ruling out #Commanders QB Jayden Daniels but there’s been a lean toward erring on the side of caution. The team returns to practice today so we’ll see if he’s DNP or at least limited. pic.twitter.com/XBHpAPhCiv
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) September 17, 2025

Jets QB Depth Chart Following Justin Fields’ Concussion

New York Jets’ signal caller Justin Fields remains under concussion protocol. The league has a five-step process for clearing the concussion protocol, which is enforced to ensure player safety.

As things stand, Fields has not cleared those five steps, so backup QB Tyrod Taylor will be in action in week 3 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Jets QB Depth Chart is as follows:

Tyrod Taylor – Starting QB
Brady Cook – Practice Squad
Justin Fields – Out for week 3

Jets QB Justin Fields has been ruled out of Sunday’s game vs. Tampa Bay due to his concussion. Tyrod Taylor will start. pic.twitter.com/fesTL9kdSb
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 17, 2025

49ers QB Depth Chart After Brock Purdy’s Toe Injury

Brock Purdy is also suffering from a toe injury, which is being classified as turf toe, but his injury is not as severe as the one Burrow has. Purdy is expected to miss somewhere between two to three weeks, of which he already sat out the game against the Saints. The 49ers QB depth chart following Purdy’s toe injury looks like this:

Mac Jones – Starting QB
Adrian Martinez – Backup QB
Kurtis Rourke – Third string QB (recovering from ACL injury)

Replacement and Backup QBs for Those under Scrutiny

In the wake of injuries to their starting quarterbacks, the Bengals and Vikings have acted quickly and signed new players to their respective squads. Cincinnati has brought in two new signal callers to its practice squad. Those two quarterbacks are former Packers backup Sean Clifford and veteran Mike White.

With Joe Burrow sidelined a minimum of three months, the Bengals are signing former Packers QB Sean Clifford and former Bills QB Mike White to their practice squad, per @AdamSchefter. pic.twitter.com/4KwnhqQS6D
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) September 16, 2025

As for the Vikings, they have signed former Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder to their 53-man roster to add further competition to the QB room. Week 2 was one of the more difficult ones for quarterbacks in the league, but none are as devastating as the one for Burrow and the Bengals, whose season now has plenty of question marks despite being 2-0.

Mandatory Credit: Imagn Images

Brock Purdy

J.J. McCarthy

Jayden Daniels

Joe Burrow

Justin Fields

NFL

Devavrat Kulkarni

nfl

I am a content writer for the NFL team, and joined The Playoffs after working with Sportskeeda and NFL Analysis as an NFL writer. After starting my professional career as a French-to-English translator, working as a content writer is a new adventure for me. I started out in the sports media field for two main reasons: my love for sports in general, especially the NFL, NBA, and Tennis, as well as my passion for writing. The best part of this job is that I get to write a variety of pieces with the freedom to explore content from various angles. It also enables me to stay up to date with the sporting world, which otherwise can be difficult to do in the day-to-day grind. In a world full of chaos, sports unite and entertain like nothing else!