What happened: Trent Williams, Penei Sewell, and Darnell Wright earned the highest midseason player grades for their respective clubs, according to Pro Football Focus. The three offensive tackles lead the San Francisco 49ers, Detroit Lions, and Chicago Bears through the opening half of the 2026 regular season.
Why it matters: Offensive line production has underpinned strong playoff positioning across the NFC, where all three franchises hold postseason seeds. San Francisco leads the conference at 7-1, while Chicago sits at 7-2 as the second seed and Detroit holds the fifth seed at 6-2 on active four-game winning streaks.
By the numbers: San Francisco (7-1), Chicago (7-2), and Detroit (6-2) have combined for a 20-5 record through midseason, with the Bears and Lions each carrying four-game winning streaks.
What to watch: All three teams head into the second half of the season focused on divisional races and playoff seeding ahead of Tuesday's 4 p.m. ET trade deadline.