Who Should I Start? Andy Dalton or Geno Smith

Thursday, August 21, 6:05 PM

Carolina Panthers backup quarterback Andy Dalton (elbow) is being held out of the team's preseason finale on Thursday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to Panthers beat writer Darin Gantt. Starter Bryce Young will also be held out, leaving QB duties on Thursday to Jack Plummer and Bryce Perkins, who was just signed on Monday. The 37-year-old Dalton suffered a muscle strain in his right elbow in the team's second preseason tilt last Saturday against the Houston Texans. While the injury isn't considered overly serious, Dalton is strictly focused on being available for the club's Week 1 regular-season opener on Sunday, Sept. 7, against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Red Rifle is purely a backup at this point in his career. In six games (five starts) played last year in Carolina when Young was benched, he threw for 989 yards, seven touchdowns and six interceptions.

Friday, September 12, 2:06 PM

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith (hamstring) practiced in full on Thursday and did not appear on the injury report ahead of a Week 2 matchup with the Chargers. Smith opened the year strong, finishing as the QB11 in standard formats after throwing for 362 yards while leading all quarterbacks in yards per completion (15.1). Chip Kelly's creative offense appears to be unlocking the best in Smith, positioning him as a steady low-end QB1/high-end backup option moving forward. This week's matchup offers upside, as the Chargers surrendered the 11th-most passing yards in Week 1, giving Smith a prime opportunity to exploit an underwhelming secondary.