Panic level for Giants, Bears amid rash of QB injuries; MLB postseason scenarios as Rays clinch AL East

Sep 23, 2026 at 9:02 am ET • 7 min read

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🤕 Five things to know Wednesday

1. Giants and Bears received bad quarterback injury news. The knee injury Jaxson Dart sustained on "Monday Night Football" is worse than expected and could reportedly cost him the season. This is a nightmare scenario for the Giants, who are left with a middle-of-the-road replacement in Jameis Winston. Two weeks into the season, it's already time to panic in New York. The Bears are not much better off in the immediate future, either. While Caleb Williams is set to return from his hamstring injury before long, Tyson Bagent suffered a concussion in the loss to the Vikings, which puts Chicago's third-stringer, Case Keenum, in line to start in Week 3. Season-long expectations remain high for the Bears, but they could have a rough go of it until Williams gets back in the lineup.
2. Rays and Brewers reshaped the MLB postseason picture. Drew Rasmussen carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning of the Rays' 6-1 win over the Yankees in Game 2 of Tuesday's doubleheader, and while that no-hit bid fell short, it did help Tampa Bay clinch the AL East title. The Brewers secured a bye and home-field advantage in the NLDS. This weekend is shaping up to be a dramatic one, and a looming nor'easter in Boston could play a role in determining the wild-card races. You'll want to familiarize yourself with the tiebreaker rules, because there's a good chance they will come into play. And if none of it makes sense to you, then you're not alone, because our Mike Axisa argues that the playoff seeding model is broken. Oh, and once the postseason arrives, Shohei Ohtani should be in the Dodgers' lineup, Alex Bregman figures to be available for the Cubs and Aaron Judge might still be on the injured list.
3. The SEC is off to a better start than the Big Ten. It has been four years since the SEC last produced a College Football Playoff champion, but it has the upper hand so far in 2026. Five of the top 10 teams in Tom Fornelli's power ratings hail from the SEC, and we project five teams from the conference to reach the CFP. If Jadan Baugh keeps up his hot start, perhaps Florida could emerge as another playoff hopeful from the No. 1 conference. At the same time, USC can help the Big Ten claim an elite team if it defeats Oregon in this weekend's showdown.
4. Make these fantasy football moves ahead of Week 3. The rash of quarterback injuries shakes up the fantasy landscape. If you lost your signal-caller, our trade values chart will help you cook up an offer for a top-tier replacement. A couple of streamers and stashes could be available on the waiver wire, too. The injuries also impact the wide receiver spot, so if you have any Giants, Bears or Commanders pass-catchers on your squad, consult with our Week 3 position preview for advice. Maybe you can make up for the quarterback and wide receiver issues by grabbing one of these rising running backs. And if your waivers do not process until Thursday morning, here's how you should prioritize all of your claims.
5. The 2026 Presidents Cup tees off Thursday. The United States seeks its 11th consecutive win over the Internationals this week, and the action begins at Medinah Country Club with four-ball play on Day 1. The U.S. team is stacked with stars including Scottie Scheffler and Wyndham Clark, while Adam Scott headlines the International squad in his 12th Presidents Cup appearance. How big is the United States' edge? Nearly all of the top 10 players at the event hail from the American roster. The team is also -420 to win the tournament for the 14th time.

🏈 Do not miss this: Pete Prisco's Week 3 NFL Power Rankings

Since quarterback injuries are the story of the week in the NFL, one has to wonder how the Bears, Giants and Commanders fit into the bigger picture now that they could be without their signal-callers for an extended period. As you would expect, each of them took a tumble in Pete Prisco's Power Rankings. Here is where they stand in Week 3:

12. Bears (↓3)
19. Giants (↓3)
29. Commanders (↓3)

It's bleak, but at least Chicago is still in the upper half of the league. Plus, getting Caleb Williams back in relatively short order could prevent a further decline.

This is also the point in the season where teams offer early indications as to whether they will make the playoffs. It is extremely difficult to bounce back from an 0-2 start, and only a couple of winless teams have real chances of beating the odds. For others, their coaches could end up on the wrong side of the hot seat.

Take the 23rd-ranked Chargers, for example.

• Prisco: "They are in major trouble. They are 0-2 and face a brutal seven-game stretch that could have them out of the playoff race by midseason. Ouch."

🏀 Predicting every high-major college basketball lineup

Keeping up with college basketball roster moves this offseason has been a dizzying experience, to say the least. Eligibility rulings added a major twist to starting lineup construction, and nowhere is that more obvious than at LSU. Every single one of the Tigers' projected starters, plus two key reserves, await the outcomes of legal proceedings to determine whether they can play. If cleared, our Isaac Trotter says the Tigers' roster will easily be among the nation's top 25.

Louisville also awaits an important eligibility ruling that could determine its status as the ACC frontrunner.

• Trotter: "Karter Knox and Adrian Wooley are both capable of starting for a Louisville club that should rank inside the top 10 in the preseason polls. Knox provides floor-spacing, size and a bigger body. Wooley is more of a slasher and could help solve some of the creation questions that remain for Louisville. This is all a moot point if Seth Trimble doesn't get an injunction for a fifth year of eligibility."

Trotter is up to speed with every eligibility battle and took them into account when he predicted the starting five for every high-major team in college basketball. One team that already knows who will be able to suit up this year, though, is UConn. Here is how Dan Hurley's championship-contending lineup looks about six weeks out from the season opener:

• G Silas Demary Jr.
• G Braylon Mullins
• F Jayden Ross
• F Nikolas Khamenia
• C Najai Hines

👍👎 The best (and not-so-best) of the rest

• Thanks to his second title defense, Joshua Van made a massive surge in our UFC Pound for Pound Fighter Rankings.
• Kawhi Leonard left a few dollars on the table when he agreed to a contract extension with the Raptors. Meanwhile, Jalen Duren still hasn't signed with the Pistons, so maybe they should consider a trade.
• These three potential trade packages could convince the Steelers to move on from Joey Porter Jr.
• Will Levis found a landing spot after his release from the Titans.
• Steven Adams explained why he thinks the level of play in the NBA and NFL will temporarily "plummet" in November.
• When the Broncos accused the Seahawks of cheating in 2024, it nearly led to a lawsuit.
• Goodbye, interim tag. Chad Tracy is now the full-time manager of the Red Sox, and Andy Green earned a three-year contract with the Mets.
• Arch Manning seems to have a new PR strategy following his controversial comments a week ago, and Alabama offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb walked back a statement of his own.
• Deion Sanders explained why he dismissed multiple players from Colorado's roster.
• Reds legend Barry Larkin called out the team for what looks destined to be another last-place finish in the NL Central.
• The Cardinals might have a Marvin Harrison Jr. problem.
• Harry Kane has competition for the Ballon d'Or, according to this week's power rankings.
• Linda Dallmann is among the biggest stars of the UEFA Women's Champions League thus far. She helped Bayern Munich build a 2-0 lead in what ended up as a 2-2 draw with Manchester City. Arsenal are also off to a strong start, but they need to generate more offense moving forward.

📺 What we're watching Wednesday

⚽ UEFA Women's Champions League: Lyon at Servette, 12:45 p.m. on CBS Sports Network/Paramount+
⚾ Nationals at Tigers, 1:10 p.m. on ESPN Unlimited
⚽ UEFA Women's Champions League: Austria Wien at Chelsea, 3 p.m. on CBS Sports Network/Paramount+
⚾ Twins at Giants, 3:45 p.m. on Peacock
🏒 Maple Leafs at Senators, 7 p.m. on NHL Network
⚾ Guardians at Red Sox, 7:10 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 Dream at Liberty, 8 p.m. on USA Network
⚽ Sounders at Real Salt Lake, 9:30 p.m. on Apple TV
🏀 Wings at Storm, 10 p.m. on USA Network
⚾ Astros at Mariners, 10:10 p.m. on ESPN