Who Should I Start? Brock Purdy or C.J. Stroud

Monday, May 19, 12:05 PM

A part of his five-year, $265 million contract extension, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy received a full no-trade clause for the duration of the deal, sources told NFL Network's Mike Garafolo. Purdy gets financial security and control over his future in a deal that is expected to be finalized and become official soon. It wasn't completely Purdy's fault as to why he fell from being the QB6 to QB13 in overall fantasy points in the 2024 season. San Francisco's offense was behind the eight ball from the beginning of the year when they didn't have star running back until the second half of the season, and then he suffered a new injury that caused him to be shut down. Top wideout Brandon Aiyuk also suffered a season-ending injury. The 25-year-old signal-caller could rebound to QB1 levels with better health of his offensive weapons.

Wednesday, July 16, 2:47 PM

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud had a sophomore slump following his fantastic rookie season in 2023 out of Ohio State. After throwing for more than 4,100 yards, 23 touchdowns, and five interceptions in 15 games in Year 1, he regressed to just over 3,700 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 12 picks in Year 2. Entering 2025 in what could set him up for a lucrative contract extension, Stroud has trained hard to improve his physical fitness. "I've been working really hard on getting my body right -- losing body fat, trying to be faster, stronger," Stroud said. "And it went really well. ... [Working] pocket mobility, running out the pocket, throwing the rock. Everything kind of works hand in hand." Last season, Houston's offensive line struggled mightily, and Stroud was sacked 63 times, good for the second-most in the NFL behind only Caleb Williams (68). The offensive line could remain an issue after the team traded away franchise left tackle Laremy Tunsil, but sacks are often largely a quarterback stat, too. If Stroud can become more dynamic operating inside and outside of the pocket, it could create more downfield opportunities for pass-catchers Nico Collins, Christian Kirk, and Jayden Higgins, among others.