Three-way race for NFL MVP, former No. 1 pick finding his footing, promising rookie class in Cleveland? NFL Week 3 takeaways

(From left) Justin Herbert, Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen are the early season favorites for the NFL Most Valuable Player award. Getty Images, Reuters

While some teams continued to find their identity, others put down a marker for what could lie ahead as Week 3 of the 2025 NFL season rolled around.

There were breakout performances from established stars and promising rookies. But on the other side, the injury bug caught up with some franchises – the San Francisco 49ers lost star pass rusher Nick Bosa to a season-ending torn ACL, while Arizona Cardinals running back James Connor suffered a foot injury which rules him out for the remainer of 2025.

Here are the three main takeaways from Week 3.

Three-way race for NFL MVP?

Three weeks into the NFL season is typically too early to make