Ranking all 32 NFL starting QBs after Week 3: Give Brock Purdy his flowers

There was no shortage of drama in Week 3 of the NFL season. Unexpected victors and stone-cold slugfests, triumphant injury returns and ill-fated backups — this week had it all, particularly at the quarterback position.

Let's dive into our updated rankings of every starting QB, with notes on Brock Purdy, Baker Mayfield and others.

NFL quarterback rankings after Week 3

Brock Purdy does not appreciate your fraud accusations

This is year five of the Brock Purdy experience in San Francisco. The career numbers are undeniable. The Niners are 33-15 with Purdy under center. He has completed 68.2 percent of his passes across 52 appearances (48 starts), with 93 passing touchdowns compared to only 38 interceptions.

And yet, Purdy has never really been a subject of broad praise. He has always had his shooters, especially among the high-minded crowd, but Purdy's success in San Francisco has always been tainted by labels like "fraud" or "overrated." Not unlike Tua Tagovailoa for years in Miami, Purdy skeptics have wondered aloud if he's nothing more than a Kyle Shanahan merchant — the byproduct of an elite scheme and playcaller.

Well, the Niners advanced to 3-0 on Sunday with a rousing 36-30 win over the Cardinals. Purdy completed 15-of-27 passes for 297 yards and four touchdowns. He has now committed just one turnover through three weeks, with zero sacks. He leads the NFL in passing touchdowns (nine) and touchdown rate (10.8 percent).

It feels like Purdy has found a higher gear, despite the standard Niners deluge of injuries around him. He's extending plays outside the pocket and delivering difficult throws on the move and on a rope. He blends quick processing with the sort of creativity and improvisation typically reserved for true stars at the position.

Purdy has been through his ups and downs in the league, but it's hard to watch him right now and not give him his flowers. Perhaps those flowers are long overdue.

Baker Mayfield and the Bucs are lost at sea

Baker Mayfield exited Sunday's loss to Minnesota late in the fourth quarter with a thumb injury. He's expected to miss at least three weeks, per head coach Todd Bowles. That is a huge problem for Tampa. Equally problematic was Mayfield's performance before the injury — and the Bucs' overall struggles during an 0-3 start.

Tampa collapsed down the stretch of last season and the ill effects have bled into 2026. Mayfield inked a three-year, $165 million extension at the 11th hour, but it's unclear if he's prepared to live up to it. He took six sacks on Sunday, completing 17-of-34 passes for 217 yards, a touchdown and an interception.

Minnesota's blitz-heavy defense deserves its credit, and when can knock the Bucs O-line. But Mayfield hasn't looked very sharp, nor has Tampa generated explosive plays on offense these past couple weeks. Tampa has finished within six points in all three losses; it's not like the Bucs are getting blown out. But unforced errors and poor late-game execution are dragging them down. Mayfield only has two touchdown passes through three weeks. His red zone reads aren't clicking.

The Bucs are approaching five-alarm fire status. There's a lot of football to be played, but if undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels can't salvage the next few weeks against a conquerable schedule, Mayfield could return to a team with nothing much to play for.

Unc still got it: Kirk Cousins and the Raiders are rolling

The Raiders are 3-0. The question is: has Las Vegas beaten anybody of consequence? Their Week 2 victory over the Chargers would've looked better on paper a month ago, but L.A. is 0-3 and spiraling. The Dolphins in Week 1 were a cupcake for Klint Kubiak's first win as head coach. The Saints in Week 3? It's hard to trust the NFC South, which Kirk Cousins knows well. But New Orleans has a lively offense, with a talented young quarterback who loves the sling the football in Tyler Shough. The Saints feel the most "real" of the 1-2 NFC South teams, for what it's worth.

As for Cousins and the Raiders, well, tougher challenges await. Their next four opponents are Kansas City, New England, Buffalo and the L.A. Rams, all teams with Super Bowl aspirations coming into the season. If the Raiders are served with a dose of reality and end up 3-4, I don't think folks would be very surprised. On the other hand, if Vegas can split that stretch and start the campaign 5-2, the postseason will feel very much in reach.

Cousins deserves a ton of credit. Despite the turbulence he experienced in two years with the Falcons, Atlanta was a winning team when Cousins started. The 38-year-old is making some vintage throws for the Raiders. He's pretty much immobile at this stage of his career, but Cousins can still process the field at warp speed and layer passes with deft touch. Turnovers plagued him in Atlanta; he's tied for the NFL lead with nine touchdowns so far, compared to only three interceptions. He lost a fumble in Vegas' shootout victory over the Saints in Week 3, but Cousins has looked remarkably sharp. His familiarity with Kubiak, whom he worked with in Minnesota once upon a time, has paid dividends.

Michael Penix Jr. was just what the doctor ordered for the Falcons

After two miserable weeks of the Cooper Rush experience, Michael Penix Jr. made his triumphant return from ACL surgery in Week 3. The Falcons lit up a leaky Packers defense for 35 points on Thursday night football. Penix pressed all the right buttons, completing 18-of-25 passes for 256 yards and a touchdown. He did not commit a turnover or take a sack. Meanwhile, after two sluggish outings, both Bijan Robinson (213 scrimmage yards) and Drake London (194 receiving yards) ran wild.

It's too early to render a firm judgement on the Falcons' new-look offense under O.C. Tommy Rees and the watchful eye of head coach Kevin Stefanski. It's a single game for Penix, against a Packers defense that has also struggled to contain the likes of Carson Wentz and Geno Smith this season. Still, it's not like Penix has zero body of work. Atlanta's offense (and especially Drake London) has consistently performed better when he's in the saddle.

The southpaw spent more time under center than he ever has in Week 3. He was also throwing bravely (and accuarately) over the middle after buttering his bread with vertical throws to the outside in college. If Penix can round out his profile, given his natural arm talent and athleticism, there's no reason he can't be the quarterback of the future in Atlanta. Moreover, this Falcons offense is extremely talented on paper. It was easy to forget that with Cooper Rush flubbing checkdown passes, but the Falcons are perfectly well equipped to make a run at the division crown if Penix takes the much-anticipated year three leap.

NFL quarterbacks on the hot seat

Jameis Winston, New York Giants

The Giants offense was predictably sluggish in lieu of Jaxson Dart, who's out for the season with a knee injury. New York made a deal for former Vikings top-10 pick J.J. McCarthy on Monday; while McCarthy is not guaranteed to start Week 4, the Giants probably don't trade a fifth-round pick without reasonable confidence in his ability to take over in the near future. Winston is a tremendous leader and locker room presence at this stage of his career, but the days of Winston throwing for 300-plus yards and four touchdowns (with a few interceptions) are probably over.

Cam Ward, Tennessee Titans

It's the same old story for 2025 No. 1 pick Cam Ward, as Tennessee's offense sputtered in a 12-7 loss to Jameis Winston and the aforementioned Giants. The Titans have zero synergy right now, perhaps due to the damning lack of talent. Ward can't shoulder the blame for the paper-maché roster around him, but at a certain point, the Titans need to move the football. Ward is playing much too reserved to be this inaccurate and inconsistent with his decision-making.

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