QB Stock Market Week 3: Patrick Mahomes Is Back. Has Bryce Young Finally Arrived?

Leave it to Matthew Stafford to buck the trend of a league-wide scoring collapse.

While most teams saw their scoring totals decline (and I’m looking at you, Chicago), the Los Angeles Rams and Stafford had an incredible bounce-back week against the New York Giants. His four touchdown passes Monday night put him sixth on two all-time lists: career passing TDs and games with at least four passing TDs. Stafford is already back to the guy that we thought he’d be.

He’s not the only one. (Looking at you, Patrick Mahomes.)

So let’s get into it. Welcome back to the QB Stock Market.

This isn’t your typical QB rankings. I’m focused on monitoring the fluctuations of starters' performances throughout the season. No one — not even Josh Allen — is safe at the top. No one — not even Cooper Rush — is stuck at the bottom. There is room for quick ascent — and rapid decline. One question holds most important: What have you done for your team lately?

Previous: Offseason | Preseason | Week 1 | Week 2

32. Cooper Rush, Atlanta Falcons

Previous ranking: 31 ↓

31. Malik Willis, Miami Dolphins

Previous ranking: 30 ↓

30. Aaron Rodgers, Pittsburgh Steelers

Previous ranking: 22 ↓

Is there any chance of the Steelers benching Aaron Rodgers in his final season? (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

29. Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns

Previous ranking: 32 ↑

28. Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Previous ranking: 25 ↓

27. Carson Wentz, Minnesota Vikings

Previous ranking: 24 ↓

26. Cam Ward, Tennessee Titans

Previous ranking: 29 ↑

Here’s what I can say for Cam Ward in Week 2 versus the Eagles: He didn’t make any egregious mistakes. 

That’s progress. It’s what you want from Ward in these circumstances.

Granted, he made plenty of mistakes, with a long list of off-target passes, but he didn’t commit any turnovers. In a game like Sunday’s, which was a one-possession contest for all 60 minutes, that’s a big deal for a young QB.

It’s a sign of maturity. He understood that a turnover would effectively ruin the Titans’ chances.

Ward found several open receivers in the Eagles’ secondary, and I’m 99% sure that he went so far as to complete a no-look pass. His third-quarter scoring drive, which concluded with his rushing touchdown, was one of the more complete series that I’ve seen him play, especially given that it came against the Eagles' defense. Maybe they’re not all-world, like last year. But they’re still stellar.

Alas, this is still Ward we’re talking about, too. He will regularly surprise you with a throw that’s completely off target. He did that when missing receiver Elic Ayomanor in the end zone during the first quarter. It should’ve been an easy touchdown. Ward’s throw was, frankly, awful. Some might say this is catchable. But it was a fastball behind the receiver — that’s about as hard as an "on target" ball can get.

Ward’s game remains uneven — perhaps even jagged — in his second year. There’s so much talent to shape into an elite quarterback. But there’s so, so, so much work for him and the Titans’ coaching staff to undergo together. 

25. Jacoby Brissett, Arizona Cardinals

Previous ranking: 19 ↓

24. Geno Smith, New York Jets

Previous ranking: 21 ↓

23. Daniel Jones, Indianapolis Colts

Previous ranking: 28 ↑

22. Kirk Cousins, Las Vegas Raiders

Previous ranking: 27 ↑

21. Drew Lock, Seattle Seahawks

Previous ranking: 23 ↑

20. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers

Previous ranking: 16 ↓

Last year, it was easy enough to make sense of Justin Herbert’s play, because he was holding up the whole offense — basically on his own. Even as it crumbled around him. 

We’re seeing more of that this year. But it also seems like Herbert is buckling under the pressure. And it’s almost hard not to blame the guy after seeing the abomination of an offense he’s running. Here are some of the miscues.

1. The Chargers fumbled the ball six times in this game, miraculously losing just one.
2. Herbert threw two interceptions. One was flagrantly his fault in the fourth quarter, floating the ball to where a Raiders defender easily made the play. The other was a cartoonish play, in which tight end David Njoku almost caught the ball, only to fall and send the ball flying into the air for an easy pick.
3. The Chargers allowed 17 pressures, good (or bad) for 54.8% of Herbert’s dropbacks.
4. And in one case, it legitimately looked like a Chargers receiver broke up a pass for his teammate. It was the type of play we grew accustomed to seeing last year, but thought — finally — we would not see this year.

Worst of all, I didn’t see Herbert look resilient or determined in the adversity this week. I saw him grow frustrated and, on that last pick, I can’t help but wonder if there weren’t hints of resignation with that second interception at the end of the game. 

It makes some sense. Like the rest of us, Herbert had been led to believe this year would be different for L.A. But the Chargers continue to Charger.

It’s now just Week 3. But it’s hard to believe Herbert and Co. can turn this around. They travel to Buffalo and then Seattle. In Week 5, they host the Broncos before travelling to Kansas City. And then it’s an "away" game against the Rams.

I don’t see the Chargers winning any of the games.

19. Drake Maye, New England Patriots

Previous ranking: 18 ↓

18. C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans

Previous ranking: 17 ↓

17. Bo Nix, Denver Broncos

Previous ranking: 20 ↑

Did Bo Nix and new offensive coordinator Davis Webb unlock something in the fourth quarter against the Jaguars? (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)

16. Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders

Previous ranking: 15 ↓

15. Jaxson Dart, New York Giants

Previous ranking: 9 ↓

14. Tyler Shough, New Orleans Saints

Previous ranking: 26 ↑

Tyler Shough refused to take negative plays against the Ravens. And not in the foolish ways that plagued him in Week 1, where that refusal made bad plays worse. No, Shough threw away the ball. He scrambled for 1 yard when he seemed dead to rights in the pocket. Heck, he salvaged a yard or two when the rushers got him for sacks. And he checked down to his running backs and tight ends when there was nothing available downfield. 

But that downplays how well he handled the offense — particularly on third down.

On that money down, he was 9 of 10 for 131 yards. And even though he finished with seven QB pressures and two sacks on third downs — facing a 46.2% blitz rate — he managed a completion rate of +19.7%. He also attempted a 30% tight-window rate on third down.

That’s legit.

Best of all, he kept his eyes open for big plays. And he found them early and often, including this chunk play to breakout receiver Devaughn Vele.

This is the version of Shough that impressed me so much during his rookie season. He has an understated competence and toughness. And this year, rather than using his tools to hang around (as he did against the Lions), I wanted to see him elevate to the point where we expect the Saints to win close games. That’s exactly what he demonstrated in Week 2.

13. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles

Previous ranking: 11 ↓

12. Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears

Previous ranking: 3 ↓

11. Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers

Previous ranking: 7 ↓

Welp, it seems Jordan Love is going to be mired in offensive dysfunction for the foreseeable future. That’s going to muck up his production — and, this week, it really mucked up his film.

Last week, we saw Love rise above his circumstances to generate impressive production. We didn’t see the same thing In Week 2. It’s sort of a miracle he pulled the Packers out of their nosedive for the win. He remained patient, even when the offense was largely falling apart around him.

Along the way to a comeback win, he demonstrated some guile. Here’s a great example (below) where Love identified a corner blitz coming in overtime, and he made the Jets pay. He did the hard work before the snap. He took a one-step drop and floated the ball to space, where Matthew Golden managed a nice catch-and-run on the team’s last pass of the game.

This is what Love told me about in the offseason when it comes to beating the blitz with his football IQ. It’s a new and crucial part of his toolbox.

Ultimately, I came away more worried for Love in this win than I was in Green Bay's Week 1 loss. The offense looked truly bad against the Jets. Some of that was a credit to their defense, which is pluckier than I expected given all the personnel turnover (from free agency and the draft).

But for the Packers, it’s abundantly clear that this is not going to be the season where coach Matt LaFleur can let Love cook, as he playfully promised this preseason. No, they just have to do what they can to keep Love from getting burned.

10. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars

Previous ranking: 4 ↓

9. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams

Previous ranking: 14 ↑

8. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys

Previous ranking: 13 ↑

Tom Brady’s LFG Player of the Game: Cowboys’ Dak Prescott 🏆 Week 2

7. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions

Previous ranking: 8 ↑

6. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens

Previous ranking: 2 ↓

5. Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers

Previous ranking: 10 ↑

Bryce Young is second in the NFL in passing yards and first in passing touchdowns. He has completed 63% of his passes — with just one interception.

Now, I’m not much for counting stats as a pure measurement of a QB’s quality of play. But my goodness, did anyone see this coming? He has been prolific, trying to stick with the Bears in the Week 1 shootout and then absolutely blowing out the Falcons in Week 2. 

He has been downright surgical.

If you’re rolling your eyes at those counting stats, let’s look at two advanced stats. His EPA per dropback is .24, seventh in the NFL. And his completion percentage over expected is seventh-best at +8%. He’s only had to run the ball three times, but he’s gotten a touchdown and a first down, rounding out a 66% success rate. (Yes, small sample size — of course.)

But he’s not a dink-and-dunk merchant. He is pushing the ball downfield with careful ball placement. It has been quietly remarkable.

Now … can he do it against a truly elite defense? That remains to be seen.

But Young is maturing into one of the most efficient pocket passers in the league — and this extends into last season when he dueled with Matthew Stafford in the playoffs. Young can use his mobility, but he really hasn’t had to this year. He’s in the same category as Mayfield and Brock Purdy. The knock on those guys is that they’re often only as good as their supporting cast. Which isn’t totally true. But they’re all of the same type. And it’s one that almost always gets underrated. That’s certainly true of Young, whom nobody expects will keep this up.

What if he does? He has the Browns, the Lions, the Eagles and the Bucs in the coming weeks. This could be a memorable and surprising start for the young QB.

It’s rare to see an organization stick with a guy who looked like Young looked in 2024. And get him to where the Panthers have Young playing in 2026. He might not ever earn the title of "elite." But he’s starting to earn respect around the league.

4. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

Previous ranking: 12 ↑

I think I owe Mahomes an apology.

I didn’t think he could do this.

I didn’t think, just nine months removed from an ACL injury, he would be helping the Chiefs look like a bona fide top-10 offense. But that’s what he’s done, with Kansas City reigniting its passing attack. It started with the run game and Kenneth Walker III. But that explosiveness has trickled into every element of the offense, which is incrementally testing defensive limits downfield. 

Now, to be clear, Week 1 was a low-risk game plan. It was safe. It was conservative. But Week 2? The Chiefs let Mahomes cook.

It culminated in a handful of downfield throws against the Colts.

You want clutch? Look at what Mahomes did to convert a third-and-12 in overtime, threading the ball in between defenders to help receiver Tyquan Thornton make an easy conversion for 30 yard.

You want arm talent? Look at what Mahomes did on third-and-11 in the third quarter: hitting Thornton on a 45-yard bomb that had pinpoint precision.

One of the throws I liked most came in the second quarter. He threw a perfectly timed in-crossing route to Rashee Rice. The throw’s velocity was extremely impressive. And Mahomes did it while climbing the pocket away from a rusher, which didn’t impact his ability to deliver the ball on time.

That looks like a healthy Mahomes, even with 12 pressures on his dropbacks.

Now, the Colts stink. That’s important context. I’ve been saying for months that I expect them to finish at the bottom of the league. But even so, Mahomes was making throws — on the move and from mucky pockets — that he had no business making.

He’s back. He’s really back.

3. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals

Previous ranking: 6 ↑

2. Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers

Previous ranking: 5 ↑

1. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

Previous ranking: 1