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...
Nick Bosa Return Hope Just Got Very Real For 49ers Defense
Nick Bosas absence has been one of the biggest storylines hanging over the 49ers defense, and the latest signs are encouraging enough to keep the conversation going. Since the calf injury knocked him out in late September, San Francisco has had to manage without one of its most disruptive players, and the idea of getting him back has obvious appeal for a unit that feeds off edge pressure and game-changing plays.
There is real optimism around Bosas comeback, but the 49ers still do not have an official confirmation on when he will be ready to go. The timing matters because a return in early November would give San Francisco a major boost right as the season starts to tighten, and the defense is clearly watching this one closely. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Pass Rush Looks Different Even Without Key Edge Rushers
San Franciscos pass rush has been one of the clearest changes on the roster through the first six weeks, and the production has come even while the defense has been missing key edge help at times. The 49ers have consistently found pressure in ways they simply did not a year ago, with the front looking deeper, more varied and more disruptive than it did last season.
John Lynch pointed to a broader mix of reasons for the surge, from Raheem Morris influence on the defense to Chris Kiffins work with the line and the impact of added bodies up front. Osa Odighizuwa and Keion White have been part of that shift, while rookies Gracen Halton and Romello Height have also been pulled into the rotation as the 49ers have tried to keep the rush fresh despite injuries to Nick Bosa and Mykell Williams. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Suddenly Have Real Freedom To Go All In
A strong start has left the 49ers in an enviable spot heading into the trade deadline, with the kind of flexibility that can change the shape of a season in a hurry. Between a healthy amount of salary-cap room and a roster built around veterans who are not getting any younger, San Francisco has every reason to treat this moment like a real window, not a passing opportunity.
What makes the situation even more interesting is how much draft capital the 49ers still have available to work with, which gives them room to chase help without stripping away the future. No move has surfaced yet, but that combination of urgency, resources and ambition is exactly why San Francisco is expected to be active if the right deal comes along. [Read more 🡒]