We're onto Week 4 of the 2026 NFL season, and insiders Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano have been making calls to sources around the league for the latest news and notable buzz.
Drake Maye and the Patriots had an ugly game Sunday, but Maye is hardly the only quarterback with a concerning start to the season. Dan and Jeremy asked around the league to get a sense of which QBs land on the early-season panic meter. And after J.J. McCarthy kicked off trading season Monday in going to the Giants, our insiders poked around on more QB trades that could be on deck. Any other passers potentially switching teams?
Additionally, is the league buying the 3-0 start from the Raiders, who have already matched their win total from 2025? Can Las Vegas keep this up? And which teams -- 3-0 or otherwise -- are getting hit particularly hard with injuries? It's all here, as Jeremy and Dan answer big questions, hand out useful fantasy football nuggets and empty their reporting notebooks heading into Week 4.
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QB panic meter | QB trades
Raiders' start | Injury impact
Fantasy football advice
Which QB currently sits atop the league's panic meter?
Fowler: Three come to mind here -- Drake Maye, Cam Ward and Justin Herbert. All three garner varying degrees of panic, but I'm putting Maye on top for now. The Year 3 regression is startling. He looks shaken right now. Mike Vrabel's comment after the 35-6 loss to Jacksonville was blunt: "My concern level is very high for this football team." Maye is a big part of that after six interceptions in three games. The next day, Vrabel questioned whether the Patriots' offense needs to scale back its game plans a bit, essentially to do less but do it better.
Still, the notion that Maye's play can improve is there. He was considered one of the cleanest quarterback prospects of the past half-decade when he entered the 2024 draft. He played at an MVP level less than a calendar year ago. And to be sure, the Patriots have not played well around Maye and have not adequately protected him, and wide receiver A.J. Brown's absence is deeply felt. The passing game was designed to feed him the ball often. Josh McDaniels' scheme is also considered to be complex for young passers.
But dating to last year's playoffs, Maye's seven-game production line is 120-of-200 passing for 1,413 yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Those are 1970s QB numbers -- and jarring for a quarterback seemingly on the door of superstardom (to be fair, four of those seven were playoff games against top-shelf defenses).
So, I'm leaving the door open for Maye to fix it, but the panic can be found in Vrabel's voice right now. I mean, this team was in the Super Bowl last season, so the expectations couldn't have been higher. Perhaps last season's soft schedule masked a quarterback who was still very much in development.
Graziano: It went largely unnoticed during their run to the Super Bowl, but Maye did not play well during the playoffs last season. And many of the issues that surfaced then have carried into this season. What I'm hearing is that it's not that Maye is a consistently poor decision-maker, it's that he's an occasionally disastrous one, and the mistakes are exceedingly harmful. Through three quarters of the season opener in Seattle, you'd have said Maye was playing well, demonstrating poise in difficult circumstances and putting his team in position to win. Then he fell apart completely in the fourth quarter.
There are ups and downs with young players, but Maye's downs have been way too far down. And without Brown, the Patriots don't have enough around Maye to overcome the errors. His protection also hasn't been consistent. But while I don't get the sense that people think Maye has regressed, there is concern that we aren't seeing advancement in some of the young-player areas that should be improving for a quarterback who finished second in MVP voting and played in the Super Bowl.
Fowler: After some conversations this week, I feel certain that Tennessee wants to give Ward more time despite his 3-17 record as a starter. Accuracy and decision-making are issues, but the Titans hope he will build off the late-game growing pains. He also isn't turning the ball over at a high clip (one interception through three games) and the team values his makeup and work ethic. Adjusting to Brian Daboll's offense has taken time, but averaging 12 points can test a front office's -- and locker room's -- patience only for so long.
Graziano: The sense I get from Tennessee is that things are out of whack there and haven't gotten on track at all. I'm talking about the overall environment around the team, not just Ward. There's an obvious disconnect between Ward and the coaching staff, or at least the scheme, and the time to address and adjust those things was the spring and summer. How do the Titans fix lingering structural issues with their offense and with Ward's development during the season? There's still widespread belief that Ward has the character and the ability to weather early-career struggles and come out stronger for it. But there's also a sense around the league that it should look better than it does right now, and there's curiosity about what's preventing the improvement from happening.
Fowler: Jumping to Herbert, his play is inexcusably bad, but he's in Year 7 with 98 career starts, with most of those played at a high level. He has proof of concept more so than Maye or Ward. The jumbled offense under offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel hasn't helped. And I'm not exactly sure where they turn next.
Graziano: Yikes. Talk about disconnect between player and scheme. Everything looks "difficult and exhausting" for Herbert, using the words of one evaluator I spoke to last week. There was so much talk in the offseason about how Herbert and his immense natural talent would flourish under McDaniel, but it's clearly not clicking. A fresh wave of offensive line injuries that happened as the season was getting underway certainly didn't help. But the run game can't get going, the receivers haven't taken the jumps we were promised, and Herbert has looked confused and overwhelmed by whatever it is he's being asked to do out there.
A lot of people have theories on what the Chargers need to do in terms of simplifying things so they can just start having success to build on. But there's also concern that the personnel doesn't fit what the offense is built to do, which might be difficult to overcome.
Fowler: Next up for the Chargers: at Seattle, vs. Denver, at Kansas City, then a much-needed bye before the Rams, Texans and Ravens await. Oof. Not many get-right games on that schedule.
Look, Herbert has excelled as a true pocket passer, whereas McDaniel thrived having Tua Tagovailoa throw with anticipation to spots. Either Herbert struggles to do both or McDaniel isn't putting him in a position to show that he can. I still think Herbert has good football in him, but that's harder to sell by the week. And your point about mismatched personnel is a good one.
True or false: J.J. McCarthy won't be the only QB traded before the deadline.
Graziano: True! A lot of these situations are going to change drastically by midseason. Jacoby Brissett could struggle and prompt the Cardinals to want to see third-round rookie Carson Beck, which could lead to Brissett or veteran backup Gardner Minshew II being dealt. We heard talk in the offseason about the Bears looking into trading Tyson Bagent, and maybe someone gets interested if he gets a start or two during Caleb Williams' absence and looks good.
We also heard about the Eagles dealing Tanner McKee, and they could still do so if they're comfortable with Andy Dalton as QB2. They could also deal Dalton. Joe Flacco is still in the league and always seems to appeal to someone, though I believe Cincinnati values him highly as a fallback should something happen to Joe Burrow. Could someone ask Jacksonville about Quinn Ewers or Nick Mullens?
Quarterbacks get hurt all the time and teams are always looking for them. The Giants just traded a fifth-round pick for a guy who couldn't beat out Kyler Murray or Carson Wentz in camp. Quarterbacks will definitely be moved.
Fowler: Brissett could be a valuable trade asset if the Cardinals want to look at Beck later in the season. And the Jaguars like Ewers, so perhaps Mullens is expendable. These are hardly slam dunks, but the landscape could foster movement. So, I'll set the over-under on the number of quarterbacks dealt at 2.5.
Three teams -- the Eagles, Browns and Steelers -- are carrying four quarterbacks and probably would welcome a deal at the right price. And more injuries at the position will cause more trade talk. We've already seen six established starters go down through the first three weeks. Kansas City sees QB2 upside with Garrett Nussmeier, so if there are trade inquiries for Justin Fields, perhaps the Chiefs take a look. Spencer Rattler (Saints) and Stetson Bennett IV (Rams) elicited trade interest in the preseason.
Graziano: A guy we don't hear much about anymore is Anthony Richardson Sr., and I still wonder if someone will throw a late-round pick at the Colts for a chance to salvage his talent. There was the whole kerfuffle in the offseason about him demanding a trade, but we never heard much about teams being interested in acquiring him. As the season goes on and the Colts get closer to the end of his rookie contract, maybe they're willing to take less to move on.
Fowler: The Giants never called Indianapolis about Richardson's availability, but my sense is that the Colts don't want to trade him right now. Perhaps that changes, but Richardson is QB2 despite neither he nor third-stringer Riley Leonard having particularly good camps. Richardson would welcome the chance to learn behind the scenes in the McVay or Shanahan trees, but that doesn't feel feasible, at least this season.
Graziano: I also wonder whether the Steelers will try to get something for Will Howard or Drew Allar, since it's hard to see them needing both moving forward. And the big one is probably Mac Jones. The 49ers have said they aren't interested in dealing him, and I believe it would take a lot to change their minds. But if someone gets desperate enough, who knows?
Fowler: It would take real draft capital -- perhaps a Day 2 pick -- to get in the door on Jones. Brock Purdy is playing at an MVP level, but he also sat out seven games last season, with Jones filling in admirably. San Francisco could be there at the end if its aging roster holds up, so it makes little sense to deal Jones right now.
Are people around the league buying the Raiders' 3-0 start?
Fowler: Yes ... to a point. The evaluators I've spoken with see an offense that's humming. "I have no reason to believe it is a fluke right now," one AFC executive said. Quarterback Kirk Cousins is tied for the league lead in touchdown passes (nine). Tight end Brock Bowers looked unguardable Sunday in New Orleans, wide receiver Tre Tucker is emerging and the 1-2 rushing combo of Ashton Jeanty and Mike Washington Jr. is promising. A once-maligned offensive line looks more cohesive.
On defense, new additions such as free agent linebacker Nakobe Dean and rookie defensive backs Treydan Stukes and Hezekiah Masses are paying off. So, the vibes are high in Vegas and the plan to develop Fernando Mendoza behind the scenes looks like a good one. But the early schedule was soft, and the Raiders knew they needed to start fast. Kansas City (Week 4), Buffalo (Week 6) and the L.A. Rams (Week 7) await. The next month will illustrate where the Raiders really are in their rebuild.
Graziano: Knowing Steve Spagnuolo the way we do, my anticipation is that the Chiefs will do whatever they can to take Bowers out of the game plan this week and force the Raiders to beat them with their wide receivers, which remain the question of the offense. Coach Klint Kubiak and the Raiders want to lean into two-tight-end and two-running-back sets because those positions are the strengths of the offense. We'll see what happens if a defense succeeds in making Las Vegas play left-handed, so to speak. But that's almost nitpicky in the big picture. The Raiders entered this season with no expectations, so to be 3-0 indicates that Kubiak has quickly succeeded in establishing some sort of culture on which to build.
Kubiak is doing an outstanding job. The offensive line is better than most people expected it to be (which probably highlights the failures of last season's Raiders coaching staff as much as anything), and the team is getting contributions from young guys on defense. Fifth-round rookie Masses was AFC Defensive Player of the Week in Week 2. Even if they can't continue the win streak, there has been enough good stuff for the Raiders to earn respect of people around the league, and it indicates they might be onto something long term. If nothing else, the goal of having a good-enough roster to support Mendoza when he's deemed ready seems very attainable.
Fowler: In hiring Kubiak, the Raiders were getting, at minimum, an improved offense with a skilled playcaller. It turns out his message is resonating, too. Word is Kubiak and minority owner Tom Brady really hit it off in the interview process over their love of football, talking about scheme and football life in detail. Kubiak's love for the game runs deep and is evident. He will face challenges in the future, like all coaches, but he seems to be pressing the right buttons so far.
It's no surprise that the Raiders have struck a true run-pass balance (93 carries to 92 passing attempts). That showed up with Kubiak's 2025 Seattle offense (507 rushes to 481 passes). I'm still not wholly convinced the Raiders' offensive line will hold up over 17 games, but a solid run game will improve its chances.
Graziano: Quite a turnaround for an organization that agreed to trade its best defensive player, Maxx Crosby, to the Ravens in March before Baltimore pulled out over concerns about Crosby's knee. Not only is Crosby playing like his old self, but he also sounds as if he's completely with the Kubiak program and has no desire to play anywhere else. What a benefit to a defense that's figuring out who its long-term contributors are going to be. It has been a fun start to Las Vegas' rebuild.
Which team's injury issues are most concerning?
Graziano: The easy answer is the 49ers, but they're 3-0 and deal with this every year, so I don't think it's them. Maybe the Giants? They've lost their starting quarterback and their top veteran edge rusher to season-ending injuries. It's hard to bounce back from that, especially when your roster wasn't exactly all the way filled out to begin with. I also don't know that people are sufficiently concerned about the Ravens already being down their top three preseason options at center and talking about rookie guard Olaivavega Ioane as a potential solution at the position after he had to finish Sunday's game there. Those jump immediately to mind.
Fowler: If San Francisco can survive the season with its core players remotely healthy, there's no reason why it can't be in the thick of the playoff race in January. The same probably goes for Baltimore.
As for other teams, the Panthers are down their top two corners, including Pro Bowl player Jaycee Horn for a significant portion of the season. Guard Damien Lewis is out because of an elbow issue. They lost pass rusher Nic Scourton in the preseason. Wide receiver Jalen Coker has been banged up. Both starting tackles from a year ago, Ikem Ekwonu and Taylor Moton, haven't played because of injury. Star linebacker Devin Lloyd sat out Week 3. Running back Jonathon Brooks is out six weeks. And, oh yeah, Bryce Young has lower-body soreness that he's getting checked out via a second opinion. The Panthers rebuilt the roster with a 2026 breakout in mind, but attrition is affecting that plan.
Graziano: I don't think the Patriots can match these teams for volume, and they seem to have plenty of issues right now independent of health. But it bears mentioning here that they're playing without top wide receiver A.J. Brown and the long-term injury to right guard Mike Onwenu, who's on IR because of a broken ankle, was the last thing this struggling offensive line needed.
Fowler: The NFC East is battered as a whole. The Giants and Commanders are without their starting quarterbacks, though Jayden Daniels will be back. As you pointed out, Dan, the Giants have lost two of their best players in quarterback Jaxson Dart and edge rusher Brian Burns. And injuries are mounting for Dallas, which is without linebacker DeMarvion Overshown, cornerback Cobie Durant, defensive lineman Jonathan Bullard and three safeties (P.J. Locke, Jalen Thompson, Malik Hooker). Dallas has the offensive firepower to contend, but its defense is ranked 30th in the NFL and has several holes that need to be backfilled.
The entire NFL injury scene seems out of whack, and perhaps it's no coincidence that lighter offseason practice schedules and lack of preseason reps are leading to more players being hurt, but that's a conversation for another time.
What is your best piece of fantasy football advice for this week?
Graziano: I'm trying to trade for Titans running back Tony Pollard in some leagues. A few people who've watched Tennessee play have singled out Pollard as someone who seems more explosive this season and is running well. The Titans are such a mess that it's possible Pollard's managers aren't considering him as a real week-to-week option.
He gets the Ravens this week, which sounds intimidating, but Baltimore has been middle-of-the-pack in rushing yards allowed and only two teams have given up more rushing touchdowns. Pollard's value might be lower than it should be, and in a league in which RB committees are all the rage, you could do worse as a weekly, set-and-forget RB2 option.
Fowler: Continuing on the running back front, I'd roster either Miami running back -- Ollie Gordon II or Jaylen Wright -- in the aftermath of the De'Von Achane injury. My sense is that Gordon and Wright will share the load in the short term, and Wright is expected to return from injury this week. One of the two could emerge over the next few weeks, but for now Miami plans to use both. Wright has big-play potential, while Gordon projects as more of an every-down back.