What we're hearing ahead of Week 3: Latest on Aaron Rodgers, Bengals' plans without Joe Burrow

We're on to Week 3 of the NFL season, and league insiders Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano are breaking down the latest news and notable buzz.

There's a lot to talk about following Week 2. What should the Bengals do in the aftermath of Joe Burrow's turf toe injury, and what will they do? How are things going with the Aaron Rodgers-Steelers partnership through two weeks? Which quarterbacks in the league are most in danger of being benched?

Jeremy and Dan made some calls around the league to get the latest on those situations. They also identified preseason notions that they're already adjusting after two weeks of play. It's all here, as Dan and Jeremy answer big questions and empty their reporting notebooks heading into Week 3.

Jump to:
Bengals' QB plans | Early Rodgers returns
Early-season surprises | QBs on the hot seat

What's next for the Bengals with Joe Burrow out? What are you hearing out of Cincinnati?

Graziano: The Bengals believe in Jake Browning's ability to operate their offense and win games. They cite the work he did over the second half of the 2023 season when Burrow went down because of a wrist injury. They went 4-3 in games Browning started, and he's now in his fifth season in their system, knows the offense well and has more experience than he had then.

If it goes badly for Browning, and the Bengals are losing, then could I see them considering outside options. (They signed Mike White and Sean Clifford to their practice squad this week.) But they believe they have one of the best, if not the best, backup quarterback situations in the league. Nobody wants to have to test that out, but that's where the Bengals are right now. If they can win only one of their next four games -- at Minnesota, at Denver, home vs. Detroit, at Green Bay -- they'll come out of their toughest stretch of the season 3-3 and in position to contend for a division title and playoff spot with the strong group they have around Browning. If they can go 2-2 or better, they'll feel fantastic.

Fowler: Browning has earned a lot of credibility inside the Bengals' organization for his confidence, ability to operate the offense and the relationships he has developed with Cincinnati's offensive players. He's known to prepare incredibly hard and completely understands the game plan and opposing defensive schemes.

Is that enough to offset the loss of Burrow? Of course not. But there is a feeling that if Browning and the Bengals can hold it down for a few months, maybe they can get Burrow back for a late-season push. Bengals sources reiterate hope of Burrow being back by mid-December. They know that isn't a slam dunk, but it's possible.

Also, the Bengals feel as if luck might be on their side more this season than last, when they lost games every way imaginable. The 31-27 win over Jacksonville on Sunday was a perfect example -- getting a red zone stop and then driving 92 yards for a win wasn't in the 2024 playbook very often. How are we feeling about the Bengals overall as a team, Dan?

Graziano: Yeah, they're 2-0 and lucky to be there. But that's a heck of a lot better than their usual September start, which is an unlucky 0-2. It gives them a chance. Let's say Burrow sits out 12 games (this is an optimistic scenario, as I understand it) and the Bengals go 6-6 in those matchups. They'd be 8-6 and getting Burrow back for a playoff push. Then they win their last three, get to 11-6 and qualify for the postseason? Who's going to want to play them?

This could all be fantasy, of course. Burrow might not be able to make it back before the end of the regular season, and even if he does, he'd probably be limited. This scenario also requires Browning to play well for almost twice as long as he did in 2023, and for Cincinnati's defense to outplay expectations by a significant margin. If it doesn't come to pass, or if Burrow is out for the rest of the season, then I think the conversation becomes one about a quarterback who has sustained a season-ending injury in three of his six seasons, and what -- if anything -- can be done about that pattern moving forward.

Fowler: How Cincinnati has protected Burrow -- or failed to do so -- is a valid discussion point. That many in the media are comparing Burrow's tenure to Andrew Luck's in Indianapolis should alarm Cincinnati, which probably hasn't invested enough in the offensive line. While quarterback injuries are a way of life in the NFL, teams that use free agent money and multiple high picks on the O-line typically don't regret it. Cincinnati's two examples of that are left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. (a marquee free agency signing in 2023) and right tackle Amarius Mims (a first-round pick in 2024). Both of those moves have worked. On the interior, Cincinnati relies on middle-round rookie Dylan Fairchild, 32-year-old center Ted Karras and journeyman free agent Dalton Risner. That's not enough.

It's worth noting that Cincinnati's contract structure -- not guaranteeing money beyond the first season of a deal unless your name is Burrow or Ja'Marr Chase -- might take them out of the running for top free-agent linemen who want two- or three-year guarantees. And yes, part of this being a recurring issue is Burrow's willingness to hang in the pocket and wait for routes to develop. He takes the hits -- and the physical costs associated with them. But spending more resources on the blockers in front of him will never be a bad idea.

play

1:25

Why Stephen A. thinks Bengals can succeed without Joe Burrow

Stephen A. Smith says the Bengals could still be competitive if Joe Burrow returns later this season.

What are people around the league saying about Aaron Rodgers' first two games in Pittsburgh?

Fowler: The early returns are pretty good. His arm strength -- which has never been an issue -- has held up well. He's also moving around slightly better than he did a year ago with the Jets. He's no longer a premier athlete, but he's enough of one to escape the pocket and manage the game. But as many have pointed out, whether Rodgers' body holds up over 17 games is the bigger question.

"It was the Minnesota game in London [in Week 5] that marked about six-to-eight weeks of almost zero mobility due to injury," said an AFC scout of Rodgers' final season with the Jets. "He was compromised and it showed. But just being a year removed [from the Achilles tear], he seems a little bit more secure and a little less hesitant compared to a year ago."

Rodgers will face some good pass rushers in the near future, namely from the Vikings (Sept. 28) and the Packers (Oct. 26). What is your expectation for a Rodgers-led Steelers offense?

Graziano: I personally think there's a ceiling. People can feel as encouraged as they want, but through two weeks, he's 23rd in QBR, which is pretty close to where he was last season (25th). I think he is what he is at 41 years old.

Sure, he can still throw, but I think he's only going to thrive if circumstances around him are ideal, and right now they are not. Fundamentally, this offense can be good, but I have my doubts about whether it can be great, which leads to my greater concern about the Steelers: How lousy the defense has looked through two games.

The Rodgers experiment is only going to work if he's supported by the Steelers' traditionally strong defense and special teams, and they've been extremely disappointing in those two areas thus far. We just accept that the Steelers will be great on defense, but what if this is the season they aren't? It's one of the oldest, if not the oldest, defenses in the league, and it's possible what we've seen so far is more of a bad sign than a bad start.

Fowler: The ages of several key defensive stars were hard to ignore when evaluating this group in the preseason and are even more glaring now. Defensive tackle Cameron Heyward is 36. Cornerback Darius Slay is 34. Edge rusher T.J. Watt and cornerback Jalen Ramsey turn 31 next month. While I'm not doubting whether these established stars can still produce, to rely heavily on four over-30 stars on one side of the ball is a challenge.

The schedule over the next month is manageable -- Patriots on the road, Vikings and Browns at home, Bengals on the road. Those last three teams currently face quarterback issues. If Pittsburgh's pass defense doesn't find its footing against that foursome, it'll have major problems against the Packers and Colts coming out of the Week 7 bye.

Graziano: Agreed. This whole thing has felt more fragile than usual since the offseason, which was an uncharacteristic one for the Steelers. They made a lot of changes to their roster in a lot of key places, and relying on a 41-year-old quarterback is obviously a significant risk. I'm a believer in Mike Tomlin's ability to manage his team through a season and get the most out of it. How could you not be, given his track record? But we need to see some encouraging signs here soon. So far, the concerns I had about this team in the offseason feel legitimate. They're a 60-yard Chris Boswell field goal away from being 0-2.

What is one thing you have changed your mind about since the start of the season?

Graziano: I might have underestimated the Falcons' defense. Atlanta is relying on rookies in four key spots, but all four are playing well and looked outstanding flustering J.J. McCarthy on Sunday night. When I visited their training camp in late July, I talked to defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, who was fired up about the new scheme they were installing. He told me, "I wouldn't want to play us the first couple of weeks of the season."

They were right in the Week 1 game against Tampa Bay until the end and beat up Minnesota in Week 2. Maybe the rookie edge rusher combination of Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr., helped by the veteran leadership of Leonard Floyd, is a lot better than the pass rushes of recent Falcons teams. And I know they're excited about rookie defensive backs Billy Bowman Jr. and Xavier Watts. Can they sustain this all season and make a real run at the postseason?

Fowler I thought the Chiefs' offense would be just fine, and part of me still believes that. But the concerns are only growing. The Chiefs believe the passing game will be markedly better when Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy and Hollywood Brown are running their three-receiver sets. Still, we're going on multiple years of just OK offensive output -- Kansas City hasn't been truly elite on that side of the ball since 2022.

play

1:19

Woody: Chiefs 'have nothing on offense that threatens any team'

Damien Woody calls out the Chiefs' offensive deficiencies following a loss to the Eagles that saw them start 0-2 for the first time in Patrick Mahomes' NFL career.

The run game is not efficient. Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce have yet to find the chemistry that has carried them for most of the past decade. Mahomes clearly needs more help. He's trying to make it happen, running more than he should this early in the season. He's in his prime, was excellent in camp and might find a way to carry this offense through a full season. Perhaps the Chiefs are buying time and can turn it on late, but it's just becoming increasingly more difficult to buy into that.

Graziano: I get the sense that the Chiefs are frustrated by the repetitive nature of this -- their WR room being decimated every year by injuries and other issues. But they expect it to improve once Worthy is back and Rice comes off his suspension. I think that'll help the run game, too. And they really should be able to get right Sunday against the Giants. It's too early to give up on Andy Reid and Mahomes, but the concerns are legit.

I also didn't think the Dolphins were going to be as terrible as most people thought, and my optimism has been difficult to defend. They're 0-2 and have looked bad in both games, and it's hard to imagine them turning it around at Buffalo on Thursday. The Dolphins did a lot of work in the offseason to try to transform their team culture, but the on-field product has been tough to watch. They need to make improvements fast.

Fowler: I entered the season with mild concerns about Miami, given its replacement of several key players with more cost-effective options. It feels like a mini-rebuild. But the offense had always been functional with a passing game featuring quarterback Tua Tagovailoa along with receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. Some around the league wonder if defenses have caught up with Mike McDaniel's offense. Thursday will be another test of that.

I've also changed my tune on quarterback Spencer Rattler and the Saints' offense. I thought the product would be worse than it has been, given the transitional state of New Orleans' roster and Rattler's background of being a fifth-round pick in 2024. But Rattler has been solid, and I heard consistently last season that New Orleans' previous staff was sold on him, blaming a severely depleted roster for many of his previous struggles. But New Orleans at least looks capable despite its 0-2 start. Kellen Moore is one of the brighter offensive coaches around and that's showing so far.

Which quarterback is most in danger of being benched?

Fowler: Cleveland's situation bears monitoring. Joe Flacco is safe for now, but like most bridge quarterbacks fending off a rookie backup, the only way to successfully keep the job is to win a few games. That was the case with Jacoby Brissett eventually losing the job to Drake Maye in New England last season, though that situation was different because of Maye's status as the No. 3 pick. But that general theme applies.

Otherwise, teams pivot to the younger option, thinking that the player can spark the offense or provide hope for the future. Flacco has maintained his arm strength and can still move a little. He was very crisp in Week 1. But Dillon Gabriel's mobility is an asset if or when Cleveland turns to him.

Graziano: Flacco is probably the right answer here, for all the reasons you say. The Giants' Russell Wilson probably held off the Jaxson Dart chatter for at least a week or two with his 450-yard performance in Dallas, but Wilson has a first-round pick waiting behind him who everyone knows will take over. It's just a question of when. The Giants don't want to rush Dart, but as you point out in the Cleveland example, it's tough to keep the kid on the bench when you're not winning.

Fowler: Yeah, we hit that Giants' QB outlook hard last week; it's worth watching. Otherwise, the NFL's quarterback picture is pretty clear, so I'll throw two NFC North wild cards out there.

What if the Bears' Caleb Williams doesn't find his footing in Ben Johnson's timing-and-rhythm passing game by, say, Week 10? I think Williams showed positive signs in Sunday's loss in Detroit. But the feeling coming out of Bears camp was that, despite Williams' otherworldly talent, the offense was a bit crisper with Tyson Bagent running the huddle. Is Johnson willing to be patient here? I think so. And Williams' immense talent is a commodity worth betting on. But these coaches feel pressure to win -- three-year grace periods no longer exist -- and Johnson didn't draft Williams. Just thinking out loud.

In Minnesota, what happens if Carson Wentz catches fire over these next few weeks and recharges Minnesota's offense? Does that then become a temporary reset for J.J. McCarthy after he returns from his high ankle sprain, if only for a few games? Taking the Vikings' word about their belief in McCarthy, such a move would be a surprise. But aside from the fourth quarter in Chicago, McCarthy's play has been worrisome.

play

1:44

Schefter: McCarthy not expected to play against Bengals

Adam Schefter says J.J. McCarthy is not expected to play against the Bengals due to an ankle injury and will likely be replaced by Carson Wentz.

Graziano: Man, if the Vikings moved off McCarthy, they'd pretty much be acknowledging that everything they told us about their faith and belief in him this offseason was a ruse. I think the Vikings really believe he's at the stage of his development where he needs to play, and I would expect him to get the job back once he's healthy.

But you make a good point. If Wentz has them humming, it'd be worth wondering whether they'd stick with him. This is a team that won 14 games last season and knows it has a roster capable of making the playoffs. The Vikings want this to be a key development year for McCarthy, but they also want to win games.