Who Should I Start? Brandon Allen or Graham Mertz

Thursday, March 13, 2:42 PM

Free-agent quarterback Brandon Allen is signing a one-year deal with the Tennessee Titans, according to NFL insider Mike Garafolo. Allen was originally a sixth-round selection by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2016 out of Arkansas and has spent time with five NFL organizations. Overall, the 32-year-old has completed just under 57% of his passing attempts for 1,810 yards, 11 touchdowns, and eight interceptions in 18 career games (one start). He'll now join Will Levis in Tennessee's quarterback room, and the Titans seem to be signaling that they are leaning toward picking a quarterback with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. It would not be a surprise if Levis is dealt for a late-round pick, and Tennessee selects Miami quarterback Cam Ward next month.

Monday, August 25, 6:32 AM

Houston Texans quarterback Graham Mertz got the start in the team's preseason finale in Detroit on Sunday, and the sixth-round rookie had a very strong showing while leading his team to a 26-7 win over the Lions. With starter C.J. Stroud and primary backup Davis Mills getting the day off, Mertz completed 14 of his 16 pass attempts for an efficient 145 passing yards. He threw a touchdown to Quintez Cephus and led three scoring drives before halftime. He also added 20 rushing yards on two carries. Mertz played ahead of Kedon Slovis, who was on the Texans' practice squad last year and took over for the second half of Saturday's win. Mertz likely secured the third spot on the quarterback depth chart with his strong showing, while Slovis could be headed back to the practice squad.