What happened: Pro Football Focus placed San Francisco 49ers starter Brock Purdy three spots ahead of Detroit Lions veteran Jared Goff in its 2026 quarterback rankings, with Minnesota Vikings passer J.J. McCarthy checking in at No. 21. That order contrasts with the Week 8 CBS Sports power rankings, which put Goff in the top spot and Purdy at No. 3.

Why it matters: Purdy backs up the higher ranking by posting 68.7 total EPA through Week 7 compared to 65.1 for Goff. Even though Goff and Purdy share the NFL lead with eight touchdown passes against the blitz, Purdy holds the edge with a league-best 140.3 passer rating in the second half.