Chairshot NFL News Report (9/23/2026): Dart Could Be Done, Reed Faces Uncertainty & Ertz Goes Home

Jaxson Dart may need season-ending surgery, Green Bay remains uncertain on Jayden Reed and Zach Ertz returns to Philadelphia.

The quarterback injury wave grew considerably more serious Tuesday.

Further testing on Jaxson Dart’s knee revealed more damage than the Giants initially believed, leaving season-ending surgery on the table. Green Bay is also uncertain whether Jayden Reed will play again this season after his frightening neck injury, while Philadelphia brought Zach Ertz home to help an injured tight-end room.

It’s the Chairshot NFL News Report for September 23, 2026!

Jaxson Dart May Need Season-Ending Surgery

The Giants are still evaluating Jaxson Dart after Tuesday testing revealed his knee injury is worse than initially believed. NFL Network and ESPN reported that season-ending surgery is now being considered, although head coach John Harbaugh said the organization has not made a final decision.

That is a dramatic shift from Monday night, when early indications centered around a possible four-to-six-week MCL absence. The Giants are now dealing with the possibility that the quarterback they spent the offseason building around could be finished after only two games.

Jameis Winston becomes the immediate replacement, but New York’s larger concern is long-term development. Dart needs game repetitions much more than a veteran quarterback would, which makes losing an entire season particularly damaging even if the knee eventually heals completely.

Packers Don’t Know When Jayden Reed Will Return

Green Bay coach Matt LaFleur said it is too early to determine whether Jayden Reed will play again this season after the receiver suffered a neck injury against the Jets. Reed returned to Green Bay after spending Sunday night in a New Jersey hospital and is undergoing additional testing.

The uncertainty makes Thursday’s game against Atlanta almost secondary. Green Bay clearly has more important questions about Reed than whether he can return on a short week.

The Packers are also dealing with the loss of right tackle Zach Bako-Bewele, who suffered a torn patellar tendon and will miss the rest of the season. Losing two significant offensive pieces on consecutive plays is the kind of sequence that can reshape an entire depth chart immediately.

Zach Ertz Returns to Philadelphia

Philadelphia signed Zach Ertz to its practice squad Tuesday, bringing the veteran tight end back to the franchise that drafted him in 2013. The move comes after Dallas Goedert suffered an MCL sprain and joins an Eagles tight-end room already missing Eli Stowers.

Ertz remains only 11 receptions behind Harold Carmichael for the most catches in Eagles history. That creates a nice historical element around what is fundamentally a practical injury replacement.

Philadelphia is 2-0 and does not need Ertz to reproduce his prime years. If he can simply provide reliable underneath targets and red-zone experience while Goedert recovers, the reunion already makes football sense.

Patriots Put Mike Onwenu on Injured Reserve

New England placed offensive lineman Mike Onwenu on injured reserve Tuesday after he suffered a broken ankle during Sunday’s win over Pittsburgh. He will miss at least four games while the Patriots reshuffle an offensive line that had already become an early-season concern.

The timing is frustrating because New England finally got the defensive performance it needed against Pittsburgh. Losing one of the most dependable offensive linemen immediately puts additional pressure back onto Drake Maye and an offense still trying to find consistency.

Depth becomes the real question now. New England can replace a name on the lineup card, but replacing Onwenu’s versatility across multiple line positions is considerably harder.

Brock Bowers Is Expected Back Sunday

Las Vegas expects Brock Bowers to make his 2026 debut Sunday against New Orleans. Bowers missed the first two games while recovering from a meniscus procedure on the same knee that gave him problems last season.

The Raiders being 2-0 makes the return easier to manage. They did not need to push Bowers onto the field simply to save the season, which should allow the team to control his workload if necessary.

Adding him now potentially changes the ceiling of the offense. Las Vegas has already shown it can win without him, and one of the league’s most dangerous tight ends now becomes an addition rather than a rescue plan.

Tua Tagovailoa Returns to Full Practice

Atlanta quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was a full participant Tuesday for the first time since September 9 as he continues recovering from an oblique injury. A.J. Terrell, however, was placed on injured reserve and will miss at least four games because of a groin injury.

The timing makes Tua’s progress particularly interesting with Atlanta playing Green Bay on Thursday. The Falcons are 0-2 and badly need stability after getting blown out by Carolina.

Atlanta still should not treat the short week as a reason to force Tua back before he is completely ready. The season is already uncomfortable, but turning a two-week problem into a longer one would create a much bigger issue.

Thursday Night Football Arrives Quickly

Atlanta and Green Bay open Week 3 tomorrow night at Lambeau Field, giving both teams only four days to process dramatically different Week 2 results. Green Bay escaped the Jets in overtime, while Atlanta was beaten 34-3 by Carolina.

The Packers enter with considerably larger injury concerns than the scoreboard would suggest. Reed is out indefinitely, Bako-Bewele is done for the year and multiple offensive linemen remain on the injury report.

Atlanta enters with urgency instead. An 0-3 start would make every later improvement more difficult, particularly in a division where early losses can quickly erase margin for error.

Week 3 preparation feels less like a normal Tuesday and more like damage assessment around the league. New York is deciding whether Dart’s season can continue, Green Bay is waiting for answers on Reed and several other teams are already filling injured-reserve slots.

This report includes information from: NFL.com, Giants.com, PhiladelphiaEagles.com, Patriots.com, NBCSports.com, Packers-related reporting, and official team injury reports.