We’re more than a third of the way through the season, and the top of the league is starting to sort itself out. The bigger question is which teams are real contenders and which are just collecting wins. That line matters, and in the hobby it can make a big difference.
San Francisco keeps making the case that it belongs at the very top, even with the injury damage piling up. Mike Evans went down midway through Monday’s win after aggravating an Achilles injury, and that pushed the 49ers to eight pass catchers who have missed at least one game in 2026. The team has even avoided placing players on injured reserve because it has run out of room, and it’s barely Halloween.
None of that has slowed the unbeaten start, largely because Brock Purdy keeps carrying the load. The fifth-year quarterback has turned into one of the league’s best, with a 15:2 touchdown-to-turnover ratio, 1,460 passing yards, and top-tier numbers in completion percentage and yards per completion among quarterbacks who have played at least four games. He’s up to 69.6 percent completions and 8.5 yards per completion, both good for third best in that group.
His card market has kept pace. After Week 2, Purdy’s market was already up 15 percent, and his 2022 Prizm Silver PSA 10 rookie was selling for $750. Since then, it has doubled, with his flagship rookie now fetching nearly $1,000 a dozen times over.
The road ahead doesn’t look especially threatening, either. It feels like San Francisco has to lose at some point given how banged up it is, but games against the Falcons, Raiders and Cowboys should leave the 49ers favored in each one. The next time they may see an even matchup is November 29, when they host the Seahawks, and that could give Purdy’s market even more room to run.
Another quarterback whose stock could be heading in the right direction is C.J. Stroud. It’s been an uphill climb, but one of my favorite quarterbacks before the season is starting to heat up.
Houston is 2-4 after a last-second win in London over the Jaguars, but Stroud can’t really be blamed for the record. He has topped 300 passing yards in two of his last three games and has turned the ball over only once in six contests, a major rebound after he threw seven turnovers in the 2025 postseason.
The Texans’ receiving group has also quietly changed shape. Last week’s addition of Marvin Harrison Jr. has helped turn what looked like a weakness after Jayden Higgins’ season-ending ACL tear in the preseason into a real strength. The caveat is obvious, since everything still depends on Nico Collins staying healthy, but Houston suddenly has depth at wideout with Harrison Jr., Jaylin Noel, Kayshon Boutte and the returning Tank Dell.
That matters because the run game has been a mess. Houston owns the eighth-worst rushing attack in the NFL, and the efficiency numbers are even uglier.
As a result, the offense has had to run almost entirely through Stroud, who is on pace for more pass attempts than he had in his Rookie of the Year season. The Giants, Chargers, Browns and Colts are next, and that stretch should give him a chance to stack wins with the numbers, which could move his card market closer to where it was in the preseason.
Tennessee finally got back in the win column, but the result had more to do with Indianapolis’ special teams than Cam Ward. The Titans’ first victory since December 21, 2025, came despite Ward throwing for just 120 yards, and he became one of only three quarterbacks to win a game this year while finishing below 120 passing yards, joining Bo Nix and Jameis Winston.
That outing fits the broader picture for the 2025 No. 1 pick. Ward’s Silver Prizm PSA 10 rookie was going for around $700 before the season, but now it has sold multiple times for $425 or less. Carnell Tate’s market in the first Topps NFL product has taken a hit too, though Topps Chrome could change that somewhat.
The problem in Tennessee goes beyond one bad passing day. The Titans are only missing one projected starting offensive lineman from the start of the season because of injury, and the free-agent additions of Wan’Dale Robinson and Daniel Bellinger haven’t done much to lift an offense that was already one of the worst in the league in 2025. If Ward investors have been waiting for a sell window, Sunday’s win may be the best chance they get, because the last 18 games have made the exit point pretty clear.
In Other News...
DeMeco Ryans Just Sent A Warning Texans Fans Should Notice
DeMeco Ryans did not let the Texans win over the Jaguars mask what he saw on defense. After the game, the Houston coach made it clear that tackling needs to get better right away, pointing out that his unit was often in the right place but did not finish the play. Too many runners were able to bounce off contact, and that kind of missed opportunity is the sort of detail a coach notices even in a victory.
The timing makes the message more pointed, with the Giants coming next and bringing a physical rushing attack to the matchup. For Houston, that puts the spotlight squarely on fundamentals, because being in position will not be enough if the tackles are not completed. Ryans warning sounded less like postgame frustration and more like an early reminder that the margin for error shrinks fast against a team built to run through arm tackles. [Read more 🡒]
Texans May Already Be Moving On From Wyatt Teller
Wyatt Tellers fit in Houston has not gone the way the Texans likely hoped when they brought him in on a two-year deal. Instead of locking down a starting job, the veteran has mostly settled in as a reserve, leaving the Texans with a rotation question that feels very much unresolved as the NFL trade deadline approaches.
According to ESPNs Dan Graziano, that has put Teller on the radar as a possible trade chip if the right offer comes along. For a Texans team trying to manage its roster efficiently, moving on would not be a shock, but it also would mean acknowledging quickly that this pairing never really found the footing Houston was looking for. [Read more 🡒]
Texans Linked To A Big Backfield Idea For Strouds Offense
With the Texans still looking to maximize the supporting cast around C.J. Stroud, Saquon Barkley has surfaced as a name worth watching in the kind of offseason idea that can change the feel of an offense quickly. The discussion is tied to Philadelphias willingness to even consider moving the veteran back, and Houston is among the teams mentioned as a possible fit because Barkleys all-around ability would give Stroud another dynamic piece to lean on.
The appeal is obvious for a Texans offense that wants more ways to stress defenses and create easier answers in the passing game. Still, the hurdle is just as clear: Barkley is getting close to 30, and that naturally shapes how other teams would value him in any trade conversation. For now, it is a matter of fit and possibility rather than a deal that is close to happening. [Read more 🡒]