The NFL’s quarter mark officially arrives when Week 4 wraps up on Monday, Oct. 5. Before it does, it is worth taking stock of NFL Black quarterbacks, because their first three weeks have delivered a little bit of everything: history, walk-off wins, early injuries and a couple of 0-3 starts nobody saw coming.

When the season opened, The Root counted 15 Black quarterbacks lined up to start, roughly half the league. Every record and stat below is through Week 3, which ended with the Bears’ 27-7 win over the Eagles on Monday, Sept. 28. Week 4 starts Thursday, Oct. 1, so if you are reading this later in the week, some of these numbers may already be moving.

NFL Black quarterbacks: the hot or not list

Five teams are still unbeaten, per the current NFL standings: the Bills, Chiefs, Raiders, Vikings and 49ers. Two of them are led by Black quarterbacks. Here is the list worth screenshotting for your group chat.

Mahomes is chasing history again

Patrick Mahomes went 20 of 24 for 246 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in Kansas City’s 24-10 win over Miami, according to NFL.com’s Week 3 recap. The bigger number came after the game. That win was the 98th of his regular-season career, moving him past Tom Brady for the third-most wins through a quarterback’s first 10 seasons, per Athlon Sports. Only Peyton Manning (105) and Russell Wilson (104) are ahead of him, and Mahomes still has 14 games left in his 10th season.

Next up is a battle of 3-0 teams: Chiefs at Raiders on Sunday, Oct. 4.

Watch: Kansas City Chiefs vs. Miami Dolphins Game Highlights | NFL 2026 Season Week 3 from NFL

Lamar needed seven seconds in Rio

The NFL’s first game in Rio de Janeiro came down to Lamar Jackson’s poise. With the game on the line in the final seconds, Jackson hit Zay Flowers for 27 yards, then called timeout with one second left. Tyler Loop drilled a 56-yard field goal and Baltimore won 34-31 in front of 72,792 fans at the Maracanã, the Associated Press reported. Derrick Henry added 89 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Jackson’s summary of the throw: “I just had to deliver the baby.”

On the other sideline, Dak Prescott completed 25 of 40 passes for 276 yards and a touchdown as Dallas fell to 1-2. His postgame mood, via the Cowboys’ own site, was blunt: “Frustrated as hell. Embarrassed.” Prescott gets a quick shot at redemption against C.J. Stroud in Houston on Oct. 4.

Bryce Young is quietly leading the league

Here is the stat that surprises people: Bryce Young leads the NFL with 939 passing yards through three weeks, with seven touchdowns and two interceptions, according to NFL.com’s passing leaderboard. Carolina is only 1-2 after a 21-18 loss to Cleveland, but the former No. 1 pick is producing. He gets the Sunday night spotlight against Detroit on Oct. 4.

The quarterback who beat him that day deserves a mention, too. Deshaun Watson led a game-winning touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter, and the Browns are 2-1. Shedeur Sanders remains Cleveland’s backup. Watson hosts Pittsburgh on Thursday night to open Week 4.

And Geno Smith, now with the Jets, went 31 of 37 for 321 yards and three touchdowns in a 31-24 loss to Detroit. The Jets are 1-2, but Smith has not been the problem.

Rough starts: Stroud, Ward and a long Monday for Hurts

• C.J. Stroud: Houston lost 19-17 to Indianapolis on a 53-yard field goal with 16 seconds left and is 0-3 for the second straight season, NBC Sports noted. Stroud threw for 167 yards. The hopeful footnote: last year’s 0-3 Texans still made the playoffs.
• Cam Ward: Tennessee’s second-year quarterback went 23 of 36 for 181 yards with a touchdown, but he was intercepted in the end zone with 17 seconds left in a 12-7 loss to the Giants, per the Titans. Tennessee is 0-3.
• Jalen Hurts: On Monday night in Chicago, Hurts completed 16 of 25 passes for 153 yards and an interception in a 27-7 loss, NBC Sports reported. He also sat briefly for a concussion check before returning. Philadelphia is still 2-1 and hosts the Rams on Oct. 4.
• Malik Willis: Miami is 0-3 and visits unbeaten Minnesota on Oct. 4.

One more twist: Kyler Murray’s Vikings are 3-0 in his first year in Minnesota, but he threw for just 168 yards in a 23-16 win over Tampa Bay. The defense is carrying the load for now.

The injury report that matters

Jayden Daniels dislocated his left elbow against Dallas in Week 2, the second time he has hurt that elbow in two years, NFL.com reported. Washington won without him in Week 3, beating the defending champion Seahawks 33-31 behind Marcus Mariota. The Commanders play the Colts in London on Oct. 4.

Caleb Williams hurt his right hamstring against Minnesota on Sept. 20 and is week to week, according to the Bears. Veteran Case Keenum stepped in and won on Monday night. The Giants, meanwhile, turned to Jameis Winston after Jaxson Dart’s knee injury, and New York is 2-1.

Must-watch games for Weeks 4 and 5

These are the dates, kickoff times and networks from the NFL’s official Week 4 schedule and the Week 5 listings at NFLSchedules.com. Sunday afternoon CBS and FOX games are regional, so check your local listings.

If your Saturdays belong to the yard instead, pair this with our HBCU homecoming 2026 dates guide and you have your whole weekend planned.

The bottom line

Three weeks is a small sample. Mahomes and Jackson look like themselves, Young is putting up real numbers, and two of the most talked-about young quarterbacks in the league are sitting at 0-3 with plenty of time to turn it around. Houston and Tennessee meet on Oct. 11, so one of those losing streaks is likely ending soon. For weekly highlights of every game, the NFL’s YouTube channel posts full recaps the same day.