As Week 3 gets underway, the MVP conversation is still running through the quarterback room, just as it has every season since 2013. That’s the league’s reality now: unless something truly strange happens, this award belongs to a quarterback, and the race will start to sharpen over the next few weeks before the clear favorites emerge by November.
The latest power rankings reflect that trend, with individual production, team value, and overall team performance driving the order.
Jalen Hurts enters the mix at No. 10 after not being ranked last week. The Eagles’ offense hasn’t inspired total confidence with AJ Brown no longer in the picture, but Philadelphia is 2-0, and those wins came in tight games against the Washington Commanders and Tennessee Titans.
Hurts has done his part so far, throwing five touchdown passes and posting a 100.7 passer rating through two games. If the Eagles keep winning and Hurts pushes his numbers into what would need to be a career-best range, he’d have a real shot at the first MVP of his career.
Matthew Stafford sits just ahead of him at No. 9, down from No. 7 last week. The Los Angeles Rams answered in Week 2 with a blowout win over the New York Giants, and Stafford’s case is simple: he already won this award last year, and there’s no reason to rule out another run.
Even with his career moving toward its final stretch, his processing remains sharp and his arm strength still stands out. He has never needed to be a rushing threat to matter in this conversation, and that hasn’t changed.
In Other News...
Rams Suddenly Need Josaiah Stewart For More Than Just Depth
When the Rams traded Jared Verse to land Myles Garrett, the plan was clear enough: Garrett would anchor the edge and give the defense a fearsome new front. Instead, Garrett was injured early in the 2026 season and ended up on injured reserve, forcing Los Angeles to lean on a much less expected source for stability. Josaiah Stewart has answered the call in Garretts place, and his work has given the Rams something they badly needed while the defense adjusts on the fly.
Stewart has not just filled snaps, he has looked like a player the Rams can trust in a larger role. His production has stood out even in limited work, and the bigger question now is how much more the coaching staff can ask of him as the season moves along. What started as a depth situation has turned into a real opportunity, and the Rams may come out of it with a useful long-term piece at a position where they can never have too many answers. [Read more 🡒]
Aaron Donald Just Sent Rams Fans A Very Dangerous Reminder
Aaron Donalds first game back after a two-year retirement looked a lot like the old version of him the Rams spent so long trying to block out of their memory. In 32 snaps, he finished with three tackles, a tackle for loss and a pressure, and the underlying numbers only sharpened the picture of a player who can still disrupt a game almost immediately.
Next Gen Stats and Sumer Sports data backed up the eye test, too, with Donald posting the best pass-rush win rate among defensive tackles this season and a 0.75-second get-off time that ranked third-fastest at the position. For a Rams defense that already knows what he means when he is rolling, the reminder was simple and a little unsettling for the rest of the league: Donald looks like he is coming back strong. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Special Teams Already Giving Fans A Reason To Worry
Special teams has become an early-source headache for the Rams, and it is hard to ignore how quickly it has surfaced. After two games, the unit sits last in kickoff returns and field goals made, while several other areas have also lagged below the league average. There have been some subtle improvements from last season, but not enough to quiet the concerns that come with an operation still looking uneven in key moments.
Injuries have only added to the uncertainty around those roles. Jordan Whittingtons absence has pushed Xavier Smith into kickoff-return duties, and the reshuffling has left the Rams trying to piece together stability on the fly. For a team that expects to contend, the special teams picture is already looking like one of those issues that can linger if it is not cleaned up soon. [Read more 🡒]