Who Should I Start? Aaron Rodgers or Baker Mayfield

Tuesday, July 23, 11:56 PM

New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers expressed uncertainty on his player future beyond the 2024 season while on Pardon My Take on Tuesday. When asked how many more years he will play in the NFL, Rodgers said, "I don't know. This one, for sure. I'd like to do -- I wanted to do two good ones and give us a chance to retire a Jet. Win two Super Bowls." The 40-year-old's willingness to play beyond the 2024 season will likely come down to how this season goes and how well he plays while coming off a torn left Achilles in Week 1 of 2023. The odds of Rodgers having another MVP-like season at this point in his career are unlikely, but if anything can do it, it would be him. He'll have plenty of weapons around him on offense as he attempts a successful return from a serious injury, but fantasy managers need to temper their expectations and treat him as more of a low-end QB2.

Thursday, July 25, 9:10 AM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield exceeded all expectations in his first season with the organization. The former No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft entered last year's training camp in a battle with Kyle Trask for the starting job, and he ultimately won it with ease. Mayfield passes for 4,044 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions in 2023, and more importantly, he led the team to a division crown and a Wild Card victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. Heading into 2024, the franchise is even more comfortable with him leading the offense. "He has to run the offense -- we talked about this, as far as getting the ball out where he needs to get the ball out and understanding the offense and making the correct checks," head coach Todd Bowles said. "I think he's taken it upon his shoulders. He came back in great shape and we expect him to do that. There's a lot more stability there than there was last year." The 29-year-old has limited fantasy upside since he doesn't do much as a runner, but the pass-catching group of Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Jalen McMillan, Trey Palmer, Rachaad White, and Cade Otton sets him up to post at least a few QB1 weeks in favorable matchups. He also has strong job security after signing a three-year, $100 million deal this offseason.