Three weeks into the 2026 season, Brock Purdy has emerged as an early MVP candidate, while quarterback play across the league has ranged from efficient high-end production to turnover-filled chaos. Purdy, Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott, Josh Allen and Trevor Lawrence headline the top group entering Week 4, but several established starters are fighting inconsistency, injuries or offensive limitations.
Key takeaways
- Purdy posted 297 passing yards and four touchdowns against Arizona, setting a Next Gen Stats-era single-game high with 18 yards per attempt on quick throws.
- Kirk Cousins has opened the year with three touchdown passes in each of his first three games, matching the longest such streak of his career.
- Aaron Rodgers delivered two deep touchdown passes in the first quarter of Pittsburgh’s Week 3 win after missing on all nine deep attempts over the first two weeks.
- Jalen Hurts and Jordan Love have fallen sharply after difficult performances, with Philadelphia’s offense struggling to create explosive plays against Chicago.
- Baker Mayfield will miss multiple weeks with a thumb injury, while Miami lost De’Von Achane for the season because of a torn ACL.
Top quarterbacks set the Week 4 standard
Purdy has looked entirely at home in Kyle Shanahan’s offense, and his Week 3 performance against the Cardinals reinforced why he is already in the MVP conversation. He completed quick-game concepts with remarkable efficiency, going 8-for-10 for 180 yards and two scores. George Kittle accounted for four catches, 50 yards and a touchdown on five of those quick targets. Denver’s defense now offers Purdy his next major test.
Mahomes helped Kansas City leave Miami with a two-score win despite taking a heavy hit that drew a roughing-the-passer flag. He briefly appeared affected by a lower-back issue but played through it. Prescott remains the driving force for a Dallas offense that may need to win through the air while its defense searches for answers. His connections with CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens against Baltimore were particularly encouraging.
Allen’s three-turnover outing against the Chargers was an exception to an otherwise elite standard, though a second-half fumble could have been far more costly for Buffalo. Lawrence rebounded from Denver’s dismantling of Jacksonville by torching New England. He threw two spectacular touchdown passes intended for Parker Washington, although the first was erased by a penalty. Lawrence also chose to take a knee near the goal line with nine minutes remaining rather than finish a rushing touchdown, but his passing talent remains among the league’s most compelling weekly sights.
Jared Goff has kept Detroit’s passing game productive despite offensive-line problems, with the Lions continuing to use Jahmyr Gibbs heavily to create opportunities elsewhere. Lamar Jackson was not at his best in the Cowboys game in Rio, but he made important plays and welcomed the return of Zay Flowers. Joe Burrow has repeatedly turned to Ja’Marr Chase in critical moments, though Pittsburgh’s strip-sack prevented Cincinnati from closing out a dramatic victory.
Matthew Stafford’s rapport with Davante Adams remains a major positive for the Rams, but Denver’s second-half pressure changed their matchup. The Broncos pressured Stafford on 59.3% of his second-half dropbacks after reaching him on only 23.5% in the first half. Under pressure, Stafford went 6-for-20 for 81 yards, took four sacks and threw a pick-six. From clean pockets, he completed 24 of 35 for 309 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. The Rams quarterback is clearly feeling the absence of Puka Nacua.
Cousins’ three-game run of three-touchdown outings has given him the NFL’s longest active streak of that kind. Behind him, veteran backups Case Keenum and Marcus Mariota each impressed in their first starts of the year and led their teams to exciting home victories. Rodgers also turned back the clock for Pittsburgh, completing 6 of 11 throws under pressure for 121 yards and a score. It was his highest under-pressure yardage total since Week 10 of 2020. He entered Week 3 having completed only 43.5% of those throws for 92 yards.
Geno Smith has not been the reason for the Jets’ two-game skid. He played sharply in Detroit and led New York back into a game that went to the wire, before a late fumble ended the comeback. Sam Darnold returned from injury with a turnover-heavy showing, but he also produced several high-level throws to Jaxon Smith-Njigba and finished with 379 passing yards.
Turnovers, injuries and offensive struggles reshape the middle and bottom tiers
Jacoby Brissett threw 52 passes against San Francisco as Arizona chased the game and has found a dependable target in Trey McBride. Still, the Cardinals have not shown that Brissett can carry them past NFC West opponents. Tyler Shough endured a brutal final 13 minutes against Las Vegas, committing three turnovers after establishing a reputation for late-game poise.
Bo Nix moved up after taking what the Rams gave him during Denver’s comeback, though he has not yet been consistent enough to join the league’s more dependable starters. C.J. Stroud has generally avoided risk until Houston absolutely needs a touchdown drive, but the 0-3 Texans need more aggression and production. Justin Herbert remains capable of extraordinary throws, yet his mistakes have become damaging. He went 20-for-34 for 226 yards, one touchdown and one interception against Buffalo, including 1-for-7 for 29 yards and a pick on throws traveling at least 20 yards in the air. Herbert already has three deep-ball interceptions this season, more than he recorded in either 2024 or 2025.
Bryce Young’s fast start stalled against Cleveland’s active defense, and Jalen Coker’s injury exit further weakened Carolina. Daniel Jones committed three turnovers and nearly handed Houston the game on a fumble before leading Indianapolis into range for the winning field goal. Michael Penix Jr. started slowly in his first start of 2026, then found his rhythm with major help from Bijan Robinson.
Deshaun Watson has not been steady for four quarters, but he has made enough late plays to help Cleveland over the past two weeks. His developing connection with rookie receiver Denzel Boston has given the Browns a reason for optimism entering Week 4.
Hurts’ difficult Monday night in Chicago was especially concerning after he helped Philadelphia begin 2-0. He completed 16 of 25 passes but averaged only 6.1 yards per attempt and attempted just six throws of at least 10 air yards. He completed two of those attempts for 49 yards, both season lows. The Eagles opened the third quarter with three consecutive three-and-outs; Hurts went 3-for-5 for six yards in that span, without a throw traveling beyond 10 yards in the air. His interception and lack of assertiveness compounded Philadelphia’s problems, while late coaching decisions also failed to help the Eagles recover.
Love is dealing with a weakened offensive line, virtually no running game and an offense that has struggled to leave first gear. His flashes of high-end arm talent have not been enough to overcome the broader issues. Malik Willis is similarly working under difficult conditions in Miami after Achane’s ACL injury, with a depleted group of pass catchers limiting the Dolphins’ ability to finish possessions despite moving the ball at times.
Kyler Murray looked unsettled in his first game back, and Minnesota’s offense lost another important piece when Justin Jefferson exited injured. Mayfield spent another week appearing uncomfortable in Zac Robinson’s system before his thumb injury, which will sideline him for multiple weeks. Cam Ward dealt with heavy rain at MetLife Stadium and several dropped passes, but Tennessee’s final opportunity ended when he threw an interception in the end zone.
Drake Maye’s Week 3 loss in Jacksonville may have been the most alarming quarterback performance in this group. He committed three giveaways, including an unforced fumble and two interceptions, putting New England’s season in a precarious spot. Against pressure, Maye completed 6 of 11 passes for 81 yards and an interception; without pressure, he was 8-for-14 for 118 yards and another interception. His 3.42-second average time to throw was the second-longest of his career, and 25% of his attempts came outside the pocket. On those plays, he went 3-for-7 for 57 yards and an interception, while recording eight scramble dropbacks.
Jameis Winston remains as volatile as ever: capable of creating entertaining moments, but without the consistency needed to provide confidence from one series to the next.
