The NFL teams already pinning their playoff hopes on a backup QB

Two weeks into an 18-week NFL season wouldn’t seem to be long enough for a team to reach an existential crisis over its postseason viability

Two weeks into an 18-week NFL season wouldn’t seem to be long enough for a team to reach an existential crisis over its postseason viability.

Tell that, though, to the chunk of the league dealing with injuries to the NFL’s most high-profile position that are already threatening to wreak havoc on playoff ambitions.

Nearly one-sixth of the league could begin Week 3 with their starting quarterback injured.

Joe Burrow will undergo surgery to repair a left toe injury suffered last week and could miss three months for Cincinnati. Minnesota’s J.J. McCarthy has also already been ruled out this week because of a high ankle sprain that could sideline him for two to four weeks, his coach said.

Others still waiting to determine the severity of their quarterback’s condition include Washington, where reigning offensive rookie of the year Jayden Daniels has a sprained knee; the New York Jets, where Justin Fields remains in the league’s protocol for concussion recovery; and San Francisco, where Brock Purdy has “a chance” to play after suffering toe and shoulder injuries in the season opener.