Quarterback Watch: Love’s MVP Push, Stroud’s Extension Outlook and Philadelphia’s QB Woes

Love’s MVP odds sit around ninth or 10th, depending on the sportsbook, but his trajectory suggests he belongs in the conversation. His numbers do not yet match those of a leading candidate, largely because Green Bay’s protection has struggled and his season began slowly. There is still time to change that.

The Packers’ offensive line remains a major concern, but Love has shown signs of adapting over the past few weeks. In Sunday night’s win over Dallas, he provided a national audience with a clear example of how an elite quarterback can succeed under relentless pressure. He did so in several ways.

First, there was the calm stand in the pocket, allowing him to work through his reads as the protection collapsed around him.

Second, he escaped the rush and created a throwing lane by moving the linebacker with his eyes before delivering a bold pass.

A fadeaway that finds the receiver in stride can also maximize yards after the catch and neutralize the pass rush.

Beating pressure with an anticipatory throw before an unblocked rusher arrives is another effective option.

Shifting the protection to pick up a blitz can help as well, although Love may still have to release the ball early if his tight end fails to block.

It is unusual for a quarterback to play at this level when his circumstances are so adverse. Yet that is precisely what Love has done: his quick-pressure rate of 24.5% and average time to pressure of 2.35 seconds are both the worst in the NFL.

More impressive, the pressure has not forced Love to play conservatively. He remains aggressive and continued to challenge defenses downfield against Dallas, as he had against Chicago the previous week. Some of those attempts were so aggressive they bordered on the absurd.

Love’s stat line against Dallas would have looked stronger if his receivers had held on to the ball. A highlight reel of the deep passes they dropped would illustrate just how much Green Bay missed.

With substantial help from an overachieving defense, Love is keeping the Packers in the NFC North race despite receiving little support elsewhere. Green Bay has the league’s worst pass protection, while its rushing attack ranks last by a wide margin at 59.8 yards per game. Dallas, the next-worst rushing team, averages 76 yards per contest.

That a 4-2 team is holding the fifth seed in the conference is arguably a minor miracle. Replace Love with a quarterback other than Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson, and Green Bay would be in contention for a top-10 draft pick.

Any uncertainty about whether Houston will reward Stroud with a major extension has disappeared. The only remaining question is how much the Texans will have to spend to secure his signature.

Before both sides postponed negotiations until after the season, Houston was reportedly prepared to offer Stroud a deal in the $50 million range, which would have placed him among the 12 highest-paid quarterbacks in the league. Instead, the 25-year-old chose to play through 2026 and reassess the market next offseason.

With quarterbacks such as Lamar Jackson, Drake Maye and Caleb Williams also expected to receive new contracts, and the salary cap projected to rise again, $60 million per year is likely to be the starting point for quarterbacks seeking extensions.

I would not exaggerate Stroud’s improvement, but I believe the public has underestimated it. He carried a Houston offense that lacked a credible running game, had lost key receivers to injuries and employed a first-year offensive coordinator still developing his play-calling identity. Since returning from a concussion in Week 13, Stroud produced solid numbers and even stronger tape. His difficult performance in the playoff loss to New England obscured how well he had been playing.

Since Week 13 of last season, Stroud has posted the sixth-highest passing grade in Pro Football Focus, just ahead of Maye. He ranks 11th in expected points added per play, ahead of Joe Burrow; eighth in yards per attempt, ahead of Patrick Mahomes; and fifth in PFF’s “big-time throw” metric, ahead of Josh Allen, Dak Prescott, Brock Purdy and Justin Herbert. According to PFF, only four quarterbacks have committed fewer turnover-worthy plays.

Stroud has been playing well for some time, but this season he has elevated his game in several important areas. The biggest is his ability to operate outside the structured offense. Stroud is unlikely to match the improvisational creativity of Mahomes or Allen, but he looks more comfortable throwing on the move. His 13.8% completion rate above expected on scramble-drill throws is a career high, according to Next Gen Stats. He has also generated 7.8 EPA on scramble runs, putting him on pace to surpass his previous career high of 11.8, and he has not thrown an interception under pressure this season. Stroud has always been dependable in structure; now he is becoming reliable when the play breaks down.

Sunday’s win over Jacksonville offered a clear look at his progress in that area. Houston scored 34 points against one of the league’s stronger defenses, largely because of Stroud’s handling of pressure. Jacksonville generated five unblocked pressures, but Stroud was not sacked and completed all five attempts for 69 yards. He also produced one of the season’s best throws with a defender directly in his face.

Stroud has also performed better against the blitz, which is not surprising. Houston hired offensive coordinator Nick Caley last season to give Stroud more responsibility before the snap. It was the first time Stroud controlled the protections and could change plays at the line of scrimmage. Although there were growing pains early last season, the approach is beginning to produce results.

Stroud can now address problems before they develop after the snap, which was the goal when the coaching staff gave him greater control of the offense last offseason.

“I’ve never played quarterback,” Caley told me last August. “I’ve coached offense for well over a decade, but you learn things and see things from a quarterback’s perspective. We [as coaches] can prepare all we want, but the pictures could change … When you have a quarterback who understands the intent of what you’re doing, he can solve problems for you. He can get you out of bad situations and get you into favorable ones.”

Stroud is now equipped to solve problems for Houston’s offense—at least the ones within his control.

The claim that Stroud has not improved since his rookie season is largely unfounded. Although he took a step back in his second year, his numbers have risen since then.

By advanced metrics, which generally offer a more nuanced view than traditional statistics, Stroud’s third season was even stronger than his rookie campaign. In 2026, he is on pace for his best season yet, one that should make him extremely valuable when he reaches the extension market.

Regardless of who starts at quarterback, the Eagles’ offense has struggled. With Jalen Hurts sidelined against Carolina, Philadelphia relied on its highly touted backup, Tanner McKee, and produced another sluggish performance in a low-scoring loss.

It would be unfair to blame Hurts for every offensive issue, and McKee also deserved some sympathy in his first meaningful start. The 2023 sixth-round pick was put at a disadvantage by a flawed rushing attack, too many penalties and a struggling pass-protection unit. Offensive coordinator Sean Mannion has not found a way to compensate.

McKee’s limitations were nevertheless evident. He does not have a particularly strong arm and looked to be throwing a weighted ball at times, while his limited mobility in the pocket makes pressure especially difficult to handle. Carolina recognized those limitations and increased its blitz rate.

There were some positives as well. Although McKee lacks Hurts’ mobility and arm talent, he is willing to attack the middle of the field and gets rid of the ball quickly.

McKee’s average time to throw of 2.42 seconds was the second-lowest figure for Philadelphia this season, helping the Eagles post their second-lowest pressure rate allowed.

In a functioning offense, those traits could have been more valuable. This unit, however, is not equipped to support a quarterback such as McKee, who needs a strong running game and effective play action to maximize his strengths. He fits the identity Philadelphia wants, but he cannot provide what the offense needs right now: a quarterback comfortable playing outside the structure and creating something when a play breaks down.

Those options are difficult to find on the trade market and virtually unavailable among free agents. If I were Eagles general manager Howie Roseman, I would call Indianapolis to ask what it would take to acquire Anthony Richardson. The former first-round pick lost his job to Daniel Jones last offseason. Richardson may be unfamiliar with Mannion’s system, but he should be well versed in Nick Sirianni’s approach after playing for Shane Steichen, who previously worked under the Eagles’ head coach before taking the Colts job.

Either way, Philadelphia remains in the NFC East race. The division-leading Giants are using their third quarterback, the second-place Cowboys may have the league’s worst defense, and the Commanders are trending in the wrong direction.

Fitzpatrick was right to criticize Bo Nix on Thursday night, although some Broncos supporters, including Aqib Talib, objected to his assessment.

“Bo Nix is not playing competitively,” he said. “It’s almost disrespectful to the quarterback position how he’s playing football right now.”

Seattle’s defense did not give Nix many opportunities downfield, but his reluctance to throw vertically has defined his season. His refusal to scramble has also left Denver without a reliable way to create a play. As Fitzpatrick said, the third-year quarterback must play more competitively and take more chances.

Fitzpatrick’s delivery was blunt, but his analysis was accurate.

Top Throw of the Week

Justin Herbert had another uneven performance on Sunday, but this deep throw to Quentin Johnston was a reminder of his exceptional talent. The Chargers, however, failed to convert the drive into a touchdown.

Worst Throw of the Week

Just take the sack, Justin.

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