We're only two weeks into the 2026 NFL season, but already, the league has been ravaged by injuries to key playmakers on both sides of the ball.
The NFL's annual injury plague started just five snaps into the league's season-opener between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots. Sam Darnold went down with a glute injury
after just five snaps, foreshadowing what would be an injury-plagued start to the season.Now, quarterbacks like Jayden Daniels, Jaxson Dart and Caleb Williams have joined Darnold among the ranks of the injured. Meanwhile, other key skill-position players like A.J. Brown and Nico Collins have missed time because of injuries while Alec Pierce, Malik Nabers and Jonathon Brooks were among the most notable skill-position talent
to get banged-up.
Add in the placement of reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett on injured reserve (IR) after Week 1 and NFL teams are scrambling to replace their top players. And fans will be keeping a keen eye out for news about the statuses of their favorite players moving forward.
Here's a look at the latest injury news from around the NFL for Wednesday, Sept. 23, as well as the fantasy football impact of each update.
Jaxson Dart injury update
Dart suffered a knee injury in the New York Giants' Week 2 game against the Los Angeles Rams. The 23-year-old is expected to undergo season-ending surgery to repair that injury, according to multiple reports.
The silver lining for Dart? Reports indicate his ACL remains intact while ESPN's Adam Schefter reports Dart suffered damage to his MCL, PCL and meniscus, with the latter being the "main issue." Dart will now turn his attention toward recovering ahead of the 2027 NFL season while the Giants will turn to Jameis Winston to lead them at quarterback.
Fantasy fallout: Winston should perform better with time to prep than he did in mop-up duty against the Rams, but he won't carry much fantasy value at all. His presence will also downgrade the upside of Malik Nabers, Isaiah Likely and Malachi Fields, while Cam Skattebo may face more heavy boxes if teams aren't afraid of Winston beating them through the air.
Alec Pierce injury update
Pierce aggravated a right heel injury in the Colts' "Sunday Night Football" loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. It was an aggravation of a malady he had surgery to repair, and the 26-year-old was placed on IR as he looks to once again heal the injury.
The earliest Pierce will be able to return to the Colts in the team's Week 7 game against the Minnesota Vikings. Coach Shane Steichen did not provide a concrete update on when Pierce would return to action, per the Indianapolis Star, part of the USA TODAY network.
"We're going to monitor it, and we'll go from there," Steichen said.
Fantasy fallout: Pierce's absence will thrust Josh Downs into the clear-cut No. 1 receiver role in Indianapolis. It will also create additional targets for tight end Tyler Warren and running back Jonathan Taylor, who will be Daniel Jones' top check-down options.
Indy's No. 2 receiver will likely be some rotation of Keenan Allen, Laquon Treadwell and the newly-signed Darius Slayton. None are presently worth rostering for fantasy purposes.
Jonathan Brooks injury update
The Panthers placed Brooks on IR after he suffered a groin injury in the team's Week 2 win over the Atlanta Falcons. Carolina coach Dave Canales originally referred to Brooks' injury as "a day-to-day thing" but the running back is expected to miss about six weeks with the ailment.
Brooks has played just six NFL games across his two-plus seasons to date because of injuries. He had 11 total touches (nine carries, two receptions) and turned them into 73 yards while playing 33 offensive snaps over the first two weeks of the season.
Fantasy fallout: Brooks was already playing second-fiddle to Chuba Hubbard, so this will simply thrust Hubbard into an even larger role with the team. AJ Dillon will become Hubbard's primary handcuff, though that could change if the Panthers add another veteran running back – like Austin Ekeler, who is expected to visit the team Wednedsay – to the fold.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Latest NFL injury updates as Jaxson Dart, Alec Pierce get news on ailments
