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The NFL regular season has not started, yet several teams are already watching carefully constructed plans fall apart. Training camp is supposed to answer roster questions. For these three clubs, it has mostly created nastier ones.
Nobody should declare a season dead in August. Still, these three teams have each absorbed blows that could follow them long after the preseason ends.
3. Detroit Lions
Detroit’s situation is not defined by one devastating injury. It is the collection of smaller problems beginning to pile up.
The Lions released former first-round cornerback Terrion Arnold following his June arrest on felony charges related to an alleged kidnapping and armed robbery. Arnold pleaded not guilty, but his release left Detroit replacing a young player who had been expected to occupy an important role in its secondary. That decision was entirely understandable. The resulting hole remains.
Jahmyr Gibbs missed early camp work during a contract dispute before agreeing to a record-setting extension. He has since returned on a limited basis, which eases the immediate concern but does not erase the lost preparation time.
Then Teddy Bridgewater abruptly stepped away from the team, forcing Detroit to replace its experienced backup quarterback with Joshua Dobbs. Jared Goff is the starter, obviously, and the Lions hope Dobbs never becomes more than an insurance policy. That is generally how backup-quarterback plans work, until they suddenly become everybody’s problem.
Detroit remains talented enough to survive this. Its margin for error, however, is already getting thinner.
2. Chicago Bears
The Bears entered camp with legitimate expectations after winning the NFC North last season. Their defense has since taken an early hit.
Coby Bryant is expected to miss eight to 10 weeks after suffering a hyperextended knee, bone bruise and small fracture during practice. Chicago signed Bryant with plans to use his versatility throughout the secondary. Now the team must piece together that role while hoping he can return near the beginning of the regular season.
The injury becomes more concerning because Chicago did not enter camp with a flawless defense. Its defensive line was already considered a potential weakness, and losing Bryant places additional pressure on the remaining defensive backs to hold up when the pass rush fails to arrive.
Caleb Williams and the offense may be improved. They may also be asked to win more shootouts than Chicago originally planned.
1. Washington Commanders
No team on this list suffered a more damaging individual loss than Washington.
Laremy Tunsil tore his triceps during practice and is expected to miss a significant portion of the season. The five-time Pro Bowl left tackle was supposed to protect Jayden Daniels’ blind side while helping Washington rebound from a miserable 5-12 finish. Instead, the Commanders are rearranging their offensive line before Daniels has taken a meaningful snap.
Washington has replacement candidates, including Brandon Coleman and Andrew Wylie. It does not have another Tunsil hiding behind a blocking sled.
The Commanders needed nearly everything to break correctly to return to contention. Losing their best offensive lineman before Week 1 is a brutal start, and easily the biggest preseason warning sign among these three NFL teams.